Steadfast Hearts
by Keren Olivero
Summary: Princess Emeraude has been imprisoned and Zagato is determined to stop anyone from opposing him. His servant Dinah cannot bear to see Zagato's change in personality.Can she convince him to stop and save the princess? My version of season one. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Another MKR fic. Magic Knight Rayearth and its characters belong to CLAMP, not me. The only character that I own is Dinah, an OC. This fic takes place during the 1st season. However, it will not follow the season very well, as there will be a few main differences. It is not to be considered a prequel to "Reconciliation." This is what I would have liked to see happen in the 1st season. Will most likely have a PG-13 rating. Please don't flame.

Prologue

Dinah, a fire sorceress and a maidservant of Zagato, was feeling sorely disheartened. She had seen her master's personality change drastically. She witnessed the day he kidnapped Princess Emeraude, and cast an evil spell on Lafarga the swordmaster. Zagato had declared war on those who sought to rescue Princess Emeraude so that she could continue her prayers as the pillar. Dinah understood that Zagato only wanted Princess Emeraude to be free, but she did not believe this was the right method to set her free. Dinah gave a sad sigh as she contemplated these turn of events. She was being faced with a dilemma, and she was at a total loss about what she should do. She wanted Princess Emeraude's tears to stop, yet she wanted to remain by Zagato's side. She really didn't want to betray him, for she knew that if she did, she would in all probability feel his wrath. And she feared that if she told the high priest how she felt, she might lose his respect.

_'Oh, what a spineless coward I am,' _thought Dinah, bitterly. She felt utterly ashamed of herself for not being more confident. Suddenly an idea came to her.  
><em><br>__'Aha!' t_hought Dinah. She thought about assisting Princess Emeraude in a subtle way. She would do this by finding out a way to bring out the warmth in Zagato. She knew that his heart was very good, and she missed seeing that side of her master. She went to see Princess Emeraude. She appeared in the water dungeon where Princess Emeraude was imprisoned.

* * *

><p>Princess Emeraude was weeping softly. It tore at Dinah's heart. A part of her was irritated with Zagato for causing her this much sadness, but she wouldn't tell him that.<p>

"Greetings, Princess Emeraude," said Dinah.

Princess Emeraude straightened up a bit, which was pretty difficult, considering that she was on a flower.

"Dinah! What are you doing up? You shouldn't overexert yourself," said Princess Emeraude.

Dinah could see worry in the princess' eyes, and she knew why. It was because she was suffering from the painful and potentially debilitating disorder known as fibromyalgia, and she knew that Princess Emeraude was afraid that it would flare up. But being the proud person she was, Dinah tried to hide her pain.

"I'm perfectly fine," she said. The truth was that her back hurt her just to stand before the princess, but she didn't like to be seen as weak because of her condition. Zagato was kind enough to take her condition into account, which was just as good. She had no desire to participate in the war.

"All right, then. If you're sure," said Princess Emeraude.

"Your highness...it really pains me to see you this way...I promise you that you will be out of here," said the brunette sorceress.

"You mustn't! If Zagato found out, you could lose your life," said Princess Emeraude.

Dinah felt that was a great possibility. But she had other plans in mind.

"Not to worry. I will find the right way to convince him to find some other way to free your heart if it is the last thing I do. Something tells me that there is another way," said Dinah.

At this point, Princess Emeraude seriously doubted that. But seeing the look of determination on Dinah's face caused a glimmer of hope to rise once again.

"Very well. Please hurry before it's too late," said Princess Emeraude.

"No need to worry. I shall," said the fire sorceress. She disappeared from the water dungeon.

Realizing that she couldn't rely on Dinah alone, Princess Emeraude said a prayer that would summon three girls from another world...the ones who would become legendary magic knights. A plan B was always a good idea.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

* * *

><p>On that particular day in Tokyo, a vast group of students gathered at the Tokyo Tower. There was an assortment of students from all the well known private schools. Some of the students found the Tokyo Tower utterly boring.<p>

"What was our teacher thinking, choosing Tokyo Tower for a field trip? I mean, it's not like it can teach us anything," complained one girl.

"Don't forget, we're not in grade school anymore," another student reminded her.

"Hmph! I suppose," said the brunette haired girl. She decided to ask Hikaru what she thought of this. She turned to a girl with long pinkish crimson hair pulled back into a braid. The girl was very petite for a junior high student.

"What do you think of this place?" asked the brunette student.

"I think it is pretty exciting," said Hikaru.

The girl thought that this was quite eccentric. She couldn't believe that Hikaru would be so fascinated by just some plain tower, especially for a field trip. Unbeknownst to the girl, Hikaru was actually interested in the binoculars she was peeking through. All of a sudden, Hikaru let out a yelp.

"What is it, Hikaru?" asked the brunette haired girl, worried.

"The binoculars ran out," said Hikaru, in a childish tone. Being a child at heart was part of Hikaru's charm. Sweatdrops appeared on her classmates.

Hikaru searched for some money, but unfortunately, she had none left.

"Let me help," said an unfamiliar voice.

Hikaru looked up, and saw a girl with flaxen coloured hair, holding her hand out. In the palm of her hand were a few coins. Hikaru eyed the girl and recognized the uniform as one that belonged to the school for geniuses. The girl's name was Fuu Hououji. Hikaru hesitantly took the money from the girl.

"I enjoyed watching you have fun on your field trip," said the girl. With that, she walked away.

"Hey, wait!" Hikaru called after the girl.

_'I owe her a thank you,'_thought Hikaru. She went after this seemingly kind-hearted girl to tell her thank you. She couldn't believe that the girl was generous enough to help her, although they had never met before. Unfortunately, she got stuck in a small group of students.

Hikaru's classmates noticed a girl wearing a blue coloured uniform.

"Hey, isn't that the uniform of that snobby junior high school? The one that all the daughters of the VIPs attend," said the brunette haired classmate.

"That girl looks like a model," commented the red haired girl. The girl she was referring to was named Umi Ryuuzaki. She had long silky straight sky blue hair and blue eyes. She was quite elegant and beautiful.

"It seems that all the different schools have gathered at Tokyo Tower today," said the brunette haired girl.

* * *

><p>Fuu, Umi and Hikaru were standing together. They saw a blinding flash of light. Unbeknownst to the 3 girls, their destinies were about to change in that very moment.<p>

"What IS that flash of light?" asked the brunette haired girl, noticing what was going on.

"Please...help us save this world...legendary magic knights," said an unfamiliar female's voice. It was the voice of Princess Emeraude. The flash of light engulfed the 3 girls.

"What's happening?" asked Umi.

Soon, the girls found themselves in an unfamiliar world. They landed on top of something. Umi looked to see what it was. It was a large blue coloured fish. This fish belonged to the most powerful sorcerer in the world of Cephiro, Master Mage Clef. A bunch of questions came to Umi's mind.

"Where the heck are we? And what is this thing?" asked Umi.

Fuu was just as scared as Umi was, but she was trying her best to stay calm. She was sure that there was a logical explanation for all of this."It appears to be a flying fish," she answered, trying to keep a level head.

Umi suddenly felt very scared. One minute she was in Tokyo and the next moment she was in a world that was extremely foreign. She did not know what to do. And the fact that she was with 2 other girls did very little to soothe her fright. For one thing, they were in the same situation as she was. Not to mention that they were strangers to her.

After a brief silence, Hikaru spoke up.

"I think we should introduce ourselves," she said.

Umi couldn't believe what she was hearing. The girl couldn't be serious. She could care less about the two strangers. She just wanted to get out of the strange place.

"How can you suggest such a thing at a time like this?" the blue haired girl asked crankily.

"No, it's a good idea. If we're going to be stuck together, we should at least know each other's names," said Fuu.

"But—"Umi started to protest. She reluctantly agreed. "My name is Umi Ryuuzaki! Junior high, eighth grade."

"My name is Fuu Hououji, also in junior high, eighth grade," said the girl dressed in green.

"Hikaru Shidou! Fourteen years old, eighth grade."

The other two girls were slightly shocked. Hikaru looked so small for a teenager.

"What? You're saying that you're the same age as me? But I thought you were still in grade school. You don't look any older than eleven. "

"I thought the same thing. Please forgive me." That was one mistake that she hated making. Misjudging others.

* * *

><p>In Princess Emeraude's castle, a man with incredibly long black hair was glancing at all of this through a water mirror. This man was known as the high priest, Zagato, and he was accompanied by his second-in-command, Inouva, and his maidservant, Dinah.<p>

"So...it seems that Princess Emeraude used the last of her powers to summon these little girls from another world," said the high priest. He sincerely felt that Princess Emeraude was being stubborn, and that she should give up her efforts. He thought things would be easier for her that way.

"So does that mean that the legend is coming true? I never thought I would live to see that day," said Inouva.

"Why are you so worried? A legend is a fable with no basis. These children cannot become the magic knights, nor can they hope to save Princess Emeraude. Of course, it would be foolish to not prepare for any potential setbacks, just in case," said Zagato. He asked Dinah what she thought.

"I wholeheartedly concur that we should be prepared. I also think we should wait and see if these children succeed in becoming the magic knights. The legend may or may not be more than a legend," said Dinah.

"You're making a lot of sense, Dinah. It is such a shame that you cannot participate in this battle. I wouldn't want you to be hurt," said Zagato.

"I know, Lord Zagato," said Dinah, feigning disappointment. Of course, she did not dare say that she had no desire to participate in the war in the first place. But she appreciated her master's concern just the same.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

* * *

><p>Hikaru, Umi and Fuu were on their way to the Forest of Silence where Presea the mastersmith dwelled. Master Mage Clef had told them to go. At first he was having difficulty convincing the girls of their destiny, namely Umi. When he seemed to be making progress, his conversation with them had been rudely interrupted by one of High Priest Zagato's minions, Alcyone. Umi was worried about Clef's safety.<p>

"I think we should turn back and help that guy fight those monsters," said Umi.

Hikaru objected to that. "You heard what he said," she said.

"I'm against that as well. We must have faith in him," said Fuu.

"If you say so," said Umi, doubtfully. She was not sure whether she wanted to believe what the ancient magician said about becoming the magic knights or not. And she certainly wasn't thrilled about hearing that she and the other girls would not be able to return back to Tokyo unless they saved Cephiro. Hikaru, on the other hand, was more than willing to help. She was such an unselfish person when it came to other people's needs. And as for Fuu? She felt that following Mage Clef's guidance was the only option, since she and the other girls were in an alien territory. All of a sudden, the 3 girls heard the sounds of a horse galloping.

"NOW who is it?" asked Umi, sounding annoyed. She, Fuu and Hikaru looked up and saw an ebony haired woman with a crimson gem on her forehead. A tiara was on her head, one that was similar to the crown that Emeraude of Cephiro wore. She was also wearing a somewhat revealing leotard.

"Who are you?" asked Hikaru. The woman was sure intimidating.

"I am Alcyone," replied the woman, "I was sent here by Lord Zagato to end the lives of you novice magic knights."

Umi's hackles rose at that last remark. Who did this woman think she was? Well, her arrogance would be the end of her. "I'd like to see you try that, old witch!" said Umi.

"You will regret those words!" said Alcyone. She attacked with Ice Spear Attack. A barrage of icicle shards rained horizontally. The three girls dodged the attack as best as they could. They got off the bird they were riding on.

"Little eggs from another world that would have hatched into magic knights. We just met, so I do apologize for treating you so roughly, but you must die," said Alcyone, feigning pity.

"We can't die now!" protested Umi.

"If we die-" began Hikaru. She thought about the encounter with Mage Clef. She recalled the bestowal of magic he had done upon her and the other girls. She considered giving this magic spell a try. Maybe she could use it to outwit this middle-aged lady. She concentrated deeply and prepared to attack.

"It appears that you have learned a little trick...how cute," mocked Alcyone. No matter what powers they had, they still did not compare to her powers. They were fools if they thought they could defeat a high ranked sorceress like her. Well, she would teach them that the hard way.

"Flame Arrow! Ya!" shouted Hikaru, shooting a ribbon of flames from her hands. The flames incinerated Alcyone.

"Ahhhhh!" screamed the former pupil of Mage Clef. She teleported away bruised, humiliated and angry. She was also feeling scared, for she knew that High Priest Zagato would be at least disappointed, if not furious. Zagato was a no-nonsense and autocratic master.

Meanwhile, Master Mage Clef was still trying to combat Alcyone's monster. At that moment, he sensed Zagato's presence. Unbeknownst to Mage Clef, Zagato had come to stop him from guiding the magic knights to be. Zagato had an evil smirk on his face. He emitted a blast from his hand that would turn Mage Clef into stone. Mage Clef tried to repel the attack, but he could not do so. The spell hit him, and he was now stone.

"How impressive of you to sense my presence, Master Mage Clef. Unfortunately, it was a trifle late. You shan't save Princess Emeraude in your condition," said Zagato. With a diabolical laugh, he disappeared.

Princess Emeraude had seen this, and was horrified at what she saw. She couldn't understand why Zagato committed such deeds as a high priest. She expected much more from him. Although she still loved him, the person he had become was like a stranger to her.

"Mage Clef," she said sadly. She suspected that Zagato was behind this, considering how aggressive, combative and ruthless he had become to those who sought out to save her.

At that moment, Zagato appeared. "You have summoned the three girls from another world."

"Zagato." She glanced up, and judging from his words and his cold eyes and expression, she was correct that he was the one who turned Clef into stone.

"Princess Emeraude...cease your futile efforts," said Zagato."Those little girls will not become magic knights and the Rune-Gods will not be revived. "

"As a high priest, Zagato, why is it that you're doing this? Don't you care about the fate of Cephiro?" inquired the princess. She just could not comprehend what changed him, when he was more than willing to protect her during her prayers some time ago. She hoped that he would stop before he lived to regret it.

"No," answered Zagato bluntly, with a cruel smile on his face. Princess Emeraude gasped at his nonchalant tone. She couldn't believe that he was so callous about his actions. Little did she know, Zagato loved her as much as she loved him, and he was doing this to emancipate her heart. This was a quite reasonable wish. It was his method that was to be deemed objectable.

Little did Zagato know, his maidservant Dinah had heard everything that was said.

_'That was extremely coldhearted...like an ice cube,'_thought Dinah. All the stress of this war was beginning to take a toll on her. The pain she felt from her fibromyalgia was aggravated. Her legs went numb, and just as she was about to go get some rest, her useless legs gave out on her and she collapsed in pain. In the process, she heard a loud pop.

Zagato sensed that something had happened to his maidservant, and went to see what was wrong. He saw her lying on the floor in a heap.

_'It seems that she has had another spell,' _he thought. He was very careful in the way that he picked her up, since even the slightest touch could intensify her pain.

_'This will hurt some, Dinah, but please try to bear it,'_ thought Zagato. He carried her to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Zagato informed his minions about what had happened to Dinah.

"Neither of you are to disturb her...especially you, Alcyone," said Zagato, giving Alcyone a steely stare. He felt it was a disgrace that he had to tell Alcyone to behave herself since she was old enough to know how, but if he didn't tell her, she would devise any diabolical deed she could.

Alcyone knew better than to protest when Zagato spoke in that tone.

"Yes, my lord," said Alcyone, bowing respectfully. She would just wait until the fire sorceress was on her feet again to annoy her. She harbored a great amount of jealousy toward Dinah.

"Poor missy..why must she be so stubborn?" wondered Caldina. The news upset her greatly, since Dinah was her best friend.

"Dinah is sure missing out on all the fun," said Ascot.

"Enough!" barked Inouva. He then assigned Caldina, Ascot and Lafarga their areas they would cover in Cephiro. He was about to give Alcyone her assigned location.

"Please give me another chance to take care of those magic knights, Lord Zagato," begged Alcyone.

Zagato had little patience for failure, and he certainly didn't tolerate questioning.

"Those girls from another world are entering the Forest of Silence...magic cannot be used there. There are monsters which dwell in the Forest of Silence. We do not have to lift a finger," said Zagato, smugly.

"Yeah, but-" Alcyone started to protest.

"End of discussion," said the high priest, firmly. With that, he left the spacious room.

"Wait! Lord!" Alcyone called after him. She hoped that he would eventually give her another chance. _'Those girls just got lucky...but they won't defeat me again.' _

Inouva gave Alcyone her assigned location she would cover. Alcyone did not like taking orders from him at all. But she knew she had no choice, if she valued her life. She decided that in the meantime, she would come up with the perfect scheme to defeat the girls from another world.

********

Dinah was sitting up in bed, reading a book. She didn't bother trying to go to sleep, as she knew that her condition would hinder that. The numbness in her legs seemed to have gone away, which was good. But now she felt excruciating pain in her left calf.

'_ Oh great. Don't tell me I pulled a calf muscle,_' thought Dinah. She thought that she heard something pop when she had collapsed, but she couldn't be sure, since she was feeling lightheaded and things were starting to fade into pitch blackness. She hope it wasn't as bad as it felt, otherwise she would have to stay off of it for a bit. And at this point, she doubted that her unwavering loyalty to Zagato would enable her to be fairly active. It was something that had helped in the past, however., even if the agony was severe.

Oh, did she wish that Princess Emeraude was free. Princess Emeraude's nursing skills were excellent, and Dinah could use some right about now. She didn't know if High Priest Zagato was the one who brought her to her room or not, but she felt that it was quite generous of him if he had. After all, he had other things on his agenda to worry about. He was not necessarily obligated to worry about her. Now she was worried about how he would react to this new injury she had managed to sustain. She did not want to burden him with her problems. She wondered how Emeraude was doing. She hoped that she was feeling better. When she had seen her earlier before she fainted, she looked extremely depressed.

The fire sorceress tried moving her poorly leg, and regretted it immediately. She swore out loud. She hoped that Zagato would come and check on her after he was finished with whatever he had to do. At this point she had a "please kill me now" feeling. She tossed her book aside and just sat there. Reading wasn't something she could concentrate on at the moment.

*******

Meanwhile, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu had finally made it to MasterSmith Presea's house, after an encounter with a monster. However, there was one problem. The girls were not sure how to get inside the house.

"Well, what do we do?" asked Umi.

"We can try knocking," suggested Fuu.

"There are no doors!" said Umi, crossly.

Hikaru calmly walked up to the front of the house, and touched the wall. The wall moved on its own, much to the amazement of Umi and Fuu.

"Voila! Let's go," said Umi. She was a tad annoyed with herself for not thinking of that. She, Hikaru and Fuu entered the house.

"Hello! Anyone home?" called Umi. There was no answer.

"I guess we have no choice but to go ahead," said Fuu.

"You may be right," said Hikaru. She and the other girls continued on, and spotted what appeared to be a library. They entered the library, and saw a heap of white papers scattered all over the floor. More and more sheets were falling on the floor.

"Hello? Are you Miss Presea? We're here because Mage Clef told us to come ," Hikaru said to the white bunny-like creature in the chair. This was NOT Presea, but a magical rabbit named Mokona.

"Pu pu pu pu!" said the magical rabbit.

Unexpectedly, a cage fell and trapped the 3 girls.

"What the...?" Umi started to ask.

A woman with nutmeg coloured hair entered the room. This woman was known as the mastersmith Presea. She laughed out loud.

"You sure fell for it, Mokona! You always get away with making a mess in my study," she said. She didn't know whether to punish him by pulling on his ears to see how far they can stretch, or by hanging him upside down in the front hall.

Presea noticed Hikaru, Umi and Fuu.

"Who would have thought that 3 mischievous children inhabited this study. What would be a fitting punishment for you?" wondered Presea, "should I pull on your cheeks to see how wide your mouth can open? Or perhaps it would be better if I boil the three of you in a big pot!"

Umi began to feel bad. Although she and the other girls were innocent concerning the mess in the study, they had entered the house without permission.

"Because of that, she has every right to suspect us," she said

"We didn't mean any harm, Presea. Clef told us to come here. When I touched the wall, it moved on its own. I apologize for any inconvenience we caused," said Hikaru.

Presea thought about what Hikaru said. She recalled a time when Mage Clef told her that 3 girls from another world would appear during a time Cephiro was facing a crisis. The magic knights were the only people the door would open automatically for. She concluded that these were not ordinary children at all, but the legendary magic knights that Clef spoke of. She was destined to make weapons for these girls. She never thought that the legend would come to tuition this soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

* * *

><p>Presea apologized to the magic knights for appearing to be ungracious, and let them out of the cage.<p>

"There's something I'd like to show the three of you. Come," said Presea, leading them to a room that had numerous weapons. There were so many of them, and most of them looked so similar that one would have a hard time choosing.

"You may choose any weapon you like," said the master smith.

The three girls from another world could not believe what they were hearing. It was too good to be true. They all started talking at once.

"Free weapons?" squealed Umi.

"You're too kind, Miss Presea," said Fuu.

"These weapons are not for free," said Presea.

Umi felt like a fool for misunderstanding Presea. But then again, Presea should have clarified what she was saying.

"You mean you're charging us? But I don't have any money that is used in this country. I left my wallet in Tokyo. This is all I have, I'm afraid," said Hikaru, giving Presea a piece of candy. Presea hesitantly took the candy. She couldn't believe how quick the girls were to assume things.

"I don't need money," said Presea.

"But you just said that the weapons weren't free," pointed out Hikaru.

"You can choose any weapon you'd like. But they're not yours to keep forever. They're only a loan," said Presea.

"Oh, I get it now," said Umi.

The three girls looked at all the different weapons. They could not believe how similar some of the weapons were. Just as expected, they had a hard time making up their minds.

"As soon as you choose the weapons, I can make the weapons only true magic knights can use. You will need to travel to the legendary Spring of Eterna to acquire the material for such a weapon. The weapons evolve as the warrior learns and grows," said Presea.

"Wow...weapons that only true magic knights can use," said Hikaru, impressed. Umi and Fuu were impressed, too, and became more determined to become magic knights. All of a sudden, Presea and the three girls heard a loud crash. A monster made out of mud had managed to enter the weapon storage room.

The magic knights to be felt shivers going down their spines. Whatever that noise was they heard definitely didn't sound pretty. Especially since the noise was coming closer and closer.

"I will hold the door closed. Choose your weapons quickly!" ordered Presea.

"But we don't know which weapons to choose from," protested Umi.

"You don't know anything, do you? Just close your eyes and think real hard!" said Presea. She couldn't believe what slow learners they were. Now was not the best time to show it. At this rate the monster would have everyone for supper.

The girls did as they were told, and the weapons floated to them. Hikaru and Umi got swords, and Fuu got a bow. As much as they wanted to admire the weapons, they knew that there was no time for that. At that moment, the mud monster managed to break down the door. Hikaru tried attacking with her Flame Arrow attack, but it didn't work. Presea chuckled at Hikaru's inexperience.

"Didn't Mage Clef teach you anything? Magic doesn't work here," said Presea.

"Oh," said Umi.

"We didn't get to talk much," Hikaru informed Presea. She was worried about Mage Clef. She and the other girls hadn't seen or heard from him since their first meeting. She wondered how he was.

"Look, Miss Hikaru. The monster is made out of mud. That could be the key to destroying it," said Fuu.

Hikaru was confused for a moment, and thought about what Fuu said. It took a while to figure it out, but she understood. She asked Presea if she could use her tablecloth.

"Well yeah," said Presea. Hikaru thanked her, and took the tablecloth.

"Is there a pond nearby?" she asked.

"There's one in the front yard," said Presea.

The 3 girls and Presea ran to the front yard where the pond was. The monster was hot on their trail. Hikaru threw the tablecloth on the monster, and slashed it with her sword. It stumbled backwards, and fell into the pond. The monster was destroyed instantly. But Presea's tablecloth was ruined. It was torn, and had mud all over it. Hikaru was worried that Presea would be really upset.

Presea was impressed! They did such a good job for a first time. Maybe they would evolve into magic knights quicker than she thought. She hoped that they kept it up.

"Wonderful job, girls! " the mastersmith congratulated them.

Hikaru picked up the ruined tablecloth. "I'm glad you're proud of us. But your tablecloth is ruined. I'm so sorry," she said, bracing herself for a tirade. But Presea had a soft expression on her face. And she placed her hand on the younger girl's shoulder, which surprised her.

"Don't worry about it," she kindly said. "You girls destroyed the monster, and that's all that matters. I can always get another tablecloth."

Hikaru couldn't believe how forgiving Presea was being. Sure, she was correct that the tablecloth could be replaced, but still. She was expecting the mastersmith to be at least minorly upset.

"Well, it's about time for you girls to get going on your journey. Remember what I told you about the weapons."

"We will. And we won't come back without the Escudo."

"Good luck."

"Thank you. Take care."

"See you later." The girls left Presea's cozy little house.

* * *

><p>Princess Emeraude was worried about Dinah. She sensed that something terrible had happened to her when Zagato had come to see her, and she sensed that the sorceress was in distress. She knew what had caused her mishap. Of course, Zagato was too caught up with his plans to realize what was really causing the occasional flares of Dinah's ailment. Emeraude hoped that Dinah would find a way to get through to Zagato before it was too late.<p>

Meanwhile, Dinah had gotten to the point where the pain was now too unbearable. Zagato came to check on her to see if her condition had improved. She looked slightly less pale, but it looked like she was trying to suppress how she was really feeling. "Are you still in pain?" he asked her.

"Aye, Lord Zagato," replied Dinah. She showed him how bruised and swollen her calf was. It was truly a repulsive sight. Zagato frowned, and took her to the castle's infirmary. His respect for her was about the same as his respect for Inouva, and he did not want to risk her condition deteriorating. Unbeknownst to him, it was his fault that she had this flare up. Perhaps that would get him to stop when he realized that.

"Take care of her," Zagato told the medical team. With that, he left.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

A few days later, Dinah's condition finally began to stabilize. She had been given medication for the disorder, and so far she was noticing some improvement in her sleep patterns. The muscular aches had subsided as well. However, it had been confirmed that she had indeed pulled a muscle in her calf. Because of that, she was told to stay off of it for several days. To put it mildly, Dinah wasn't the least bit thrilled about that. She disliked the thought of not being as active as she would like to be. She was tempted to defy the doctors, but decided not to do so. It was her stubbornness that had landed her in the infirmary in the first place. So she decided to heed their warnings for once. After all, Zagato would be cross with her for making foolish decisions.

"Dinah?" said a familiar Southern accentuated voice. Dinah snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. Caldina was standing there holding a small package. Dinah was glad to see her. She was beginning to feel lonely, and knowing that she wasn't forgotten made her feel very good inside.

"Hey Caldina," greeted Dinah, trying to sound like her old perky self.

"How are you feeling?" asked the tan-skinned young woman.

"I can't complain," answered Dinah.

Caldina had great admiration for Dinah. She never complained even when she was in the worst type of pain. She never wanted others to see her as weak or helpless. Caldina just wished that she would be frank and honest about how she felt, and not feel ashamed about needing someone's help. But she decided to leave it at that.

"I see," said Caldina.

"So, what has been going on?" asked Dinah. Caldina told her everything that had happened over the past few days.

"Alcyone's failure doesn't surprise me one bit. And quite frankly, I'm surprised that Lord Zagato has tolerated her as long as he had," said Dinah. She had a strong dislike and disrespect for the middle-aged sorceress. She thought Alcyone was a nag who only wanted to snatch Zagato away from Princess Emeraude. Well she was

_not_ going to allow that. And she was sure if Zagato picked up on her feelings he wouldn't allow it either. His heart belonged to Emeraude and only Emeraude.

"Yeah, well, I'd like to have a chance against those little missies soon," said Caldina. She was someone who was obsessed with money. Zagato had promised to reward her with money if she defeated the magic knights. It was the reason she agreed to work for him.

"In case you have an opportunity to battle against the magic knights, be sure to prepare yourself well .They appear to be worthy adversaries," said Dinah. In all honesty, she wanted the magic knights to win for the sake of Cephiro. She didn't want Caldina to know that, so she was supporting Caldina's wishes.

"Don't you worry about me. I am sure that I will be victorious," said Caldina.

Dinah was not sure how to warn Caldina to not be overconfident. She knew that it took a lot to get Caldina to admit defeat.

"Anyway, enough on that. I brought you a little something," said Caldina.

"Oh?" asked Dinah, a bit surprised. Caldina nodded, and gave her the small package. Dinah thanked her, and opened it. Inside it were her favourite pastries. She thought it was quite thoughtful and generous of Caldina to purchase a gift for her.

"Thank you very much," said Dinah, gratefully.

"It was nothing," replied Caldina. She told Dinah that she had to get back to her post.

"See you later," said Caldina, leaving the room.

Dinah was feeling all alone again. She put the pastries aside. She wasn't hungry now. She decided to try going to sleep again. Something that could get old rather quickly, but it was one of the only things she could do in her condition.

*******

Meanwhile, Alcyone had just returned from another battle with the magic knights. Despite her valiant effort, they had managed to outwit her again, thanks to Princess Emeraude's appearance at the Spring of Eterna. Her encouraging words had given the magic knights the strength to defeat Alcyone., as well as find the Escudo. And now Alcyone had to deal with a very angry Zagato. He had made it clear that he did not want to be disappointed again and here she had just done that. But she didn't think it was her fault.

"Lord Zagato, please forgive me. Every time I battle those magic knights, it seems that their strength has increased. Please give me one more chance to defeat them. I am now familiar with their tactics," beseeched Alcyone, clinging to Zagato.

Zagato didn't want to hear it. She had more than enough chances. Her incompetence annoyed him greatly. It was high time that he found someone else more suitable to do the job. Also, her touch felt so filthy that he felt utterly sick to his stomach. Still, he found it fitting to let her feel that false hope that he would give in to her.

"Enough of your pitiful sniveling," said Zagato, emitting ribbons of pale pink energy from his body. They sent Alcyone careening behind the waterfalls, encasing her in a bubble. She screamed and called out Zagato's name. Ascot laughed at her.

"She's so pathetic, losing to little kids like that," he said derisively. He never had very much respect for the older woman. He thought she should have kept being an apprentice to Mage Clef because serving Zagato was obviously not for someone in her league. He asked Zagato for a turn to defeat the magic knights.

"Go ahead," said Zagato. He was interested to see what plan this little kid would concoct. He hoped for his own sake that he would succeed. It would be a shame to see a young life end so soon because of incompetence. Of course, he was not exempted from receiving punishment like the other minions.

Ascot thanked him, and went to make plans.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>Hikaru, Umi and Fuu were on their way back to Presea's house. They had passed Eterna's trials and evaded Alcyone's wicked wiles, thanks to Princess Emeraude's help. Not only that, but they acquired the legendary ore, Escudo. The girls were very ecstatic!<p>

"Now all we have to do is get those weapons made, revive those Rune-Gods Presea told us about and we can save this world and Princess Emeraude," said Hikaru.

"And then we can go back to Tokyo!" chimed Umi. She was so proud of the progress she and the other girls made so far. She was oblivious to the rustling sounds in the grass. It was none other than Mokona. He had come to give them a message from Mage Clef. Although Clef had been turned into stone by Zagato, he would still be able to communicate with the magic knights through their hearts.

Mokona hopped out and knocked Umi over. Umi was startled and annoyed by this. Whoever was guilty of displaying such bad manners as well as scaring her half to death would have hell to pay at her hands. She turned around to see who it was. Her hackles raised a bit when she saw that it was Mokona. She always found him irritating at times, but she felt he had really gone too far. She really let Mokona have it. He hopped into Hikaru's arms.

"Hikaru, you really need to discipline that thing!" said Umi, disgruntled. She wasn't sure how much of him she could take. One reason why she was glad that she didn't have any younger siblings.

"But Umi..." Hikaru started to protest. She thought Umi needed to loosen up a bit. Mokona was only being his playful, lovable self.

Mokona hopped out of Hikaru's arms and shot a beam from the center of his forehead. He projected an image of Mage Clef.

"Clef, it's you," said Umi.

"I am glad to see that you girls are well," said Mage Clef. He reminded the girls to save Cephiro as soon as they could, lest they wouldn't be able to return to their own world. Umi didn't like the sound of that at all.

"You mean to tell me that you want me to stay in a place that has no ice cream shops, no record stores and no inconvenient stores forever? Sorry, but it's not in my contract," said Umi.

"Who would have thought that she can think of inconvenient stores at a time like this," Fuu whispered. She really thought that Umi should learn to be a bit more deferential.

"Children from another world...save this world Cephiro," said Mage Clef. With that, he disappeared.

"Clef, wait! I wanted to ask you how you are," said Hikaru.

"We should get going," said Fuu.

* * *

><p>Presea was waiting for the girls to return. She wondered how they were doing. She was certain that there would be more monsters roaming in Cephiro other than the one that had attacked during her first encounter with the girls...and it would be foolish to expect that the children were able to acquire the ore without falling into any traps.<p>

_'I hope nothing has happened to them. In the past, people have not come to pick up their weapons,'_thought Presea. She recalled the time Mage Clef told her about how she would make weapons for 3 girls who would appear from another world very soon. She was truly honored to have such a task. She was so deep in thought that she did not notice that one of Zagato's minions were lurking in the forest. Ascot summoned a caterpillar-like creature.

"We will defeat those magic knights together," he told the creature. He tossed a crimson coloured energy ball toward Presea's house, and ordered his monster to get it. The energy sphere went inside Presea's body. She shrugged it off.

The mastersmith remembered that she still had the candy that Hikaru had given her a couple of days ago. She couldn't let such a unique item go to waste. She took it out of her pocket, unwrapped it and proceeded to suck on it.

_'Mmm, delicious!'_was her reaction. The girls sure had good food in their alternate world. Her favorite candy was similar to this foreign one and was as good. She couldn't wait for Hikaru to arrive so she could tell her how she liked it and thank her.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Zagato was checking up on Dinah. He was pleased to see that she looked a bit healthier than she had when she was first admitted.<p>

"Lord Zagato," said Dinah in greeting. She was glad to see her master. She was going stir-crazy being in the infirmary. She was glad that she didn't have to be there for much longer.

"You're looking well," commented Zagato.

"I'm feeling somewhat better," said Dinah. She mentally scolded herself for being a bit taciturn in Zagato's presence. But then again, it was only natural. Zagato's exterior was imposing. Still, she didn't think it justified the means. She vowed to be a bit more outspoken, though not so much that she forgot her place. She asked him what was going on with the magic knights.

"They have managed to acquire the legendary ore, Escudo," answered Zagato. "And as we speak, Ascot is making them beg for mercy. He has been chosen to replace Alcyone."

The fire sorceress realized that Alcyone must have failed miserably. Secretly, she was not surprised at all. That's what she expected from legendary magic knights. Alcyone insisted on underestimating their strengths. She sensed innocence in the little boy. She hoped that the magic knights would be able to help him see the light.

"It seems that those girls from another world are growing into true warriors," said Dinah.

"Well, it will all end very soon," said Zagato. He hoped that Ascot would succeed in defeating the magic knights. The last thing he wanted was for them to fulfill the legend.

Dinah didn't know what to say to that, since she didn't feel it would be wise to question his decisions. All she could do is hope that he would eventually fail. Of course she knew that it would not be enough and she had to find a subtle way to help the magic knights...time was running out.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>A day later, Dinah was finally able to leave the infirmary. She was given instructions to not overexert herself. She was not exactly thrilled about having to rest so much, but if it would keep her out of the infirmary, she would listen. Being placed on medication was absolutely fine with her, as it did wonders for soothing the aches and pains. And she was surprised by the chivalrous behavior Zagato displayed. He was busy with other things, yet he always made time to see how she was doing. This type of treatment made her determined to repay him for what he did. Also, she vowed to find the courage to tell him her feelings about the war. Princess Emeraude was counting on her to do so before it was too late, and the last thing she wanted was to let her pillar down.<p>

'_I only hope that I do not lose Lord Zagato's respect,'_ thought Dinah. She decided to just wait to see what else he did before making a move.

Caldina burst into the sorceress' bedroom and threw her arms around her. Dinah was so surprised, but hugged back. "Good to see you out of the hospital!"

Dinah was feeling uncomfortable about the fuss being made over her, but she didn't show it. "You have no idea how glad I am to be out of there," she replied.

"Oh, but I do. You looked so alone ."

"I suppose you're right." Apparently, she wasn't as good at masking her true feelings as she thought she was.

Caldina was glad that her friend admitted how she was feeling for once. "So how are you?"

"I'm better than I was before, but I still have a ways to go before I'm up and around again." While her fibromyalgia was pretty much under control, her calf still bothered her to the point where she wouldn't _dare _ try walking on it.

"Ah, I hear ya."

"By the way, I loved those pastries. Thanks again for bringing them for me."

"Ah, no problem." The illusionist just realized that Ascot had returned from his battles with the magic knights and it seemed that he was angry about something. She wondered why. She decided to see why.

"Hey girlie..sorry to cut this visit short, but I'm gonna go check up on Ascot. Take care of yourself, 'kay?"

"That I will. Farewell."

Caldina gave her best friend a pat on the head and exited the room.

* * *

><p>Ascot was in a foul mood. The magic knights had managed to defeat three of his monsters, all of whom he considered his best friends. Not only that, but somehow Presea had survived, although her house was partially damaged. That made Ascot despise the magic knights even more. Caldina came to calm him down, but her presence did little to assuage Ascot. He was as grumpy as ever. She had to tell him to calm down and tell her what was wrong. He sullenly told her about how the magic knights killed his friends.<p>

"Now what am I going to do? Lord Zagato will be furious! How am I going to explain myself to him?" moaned Ascot.

"I'll put in a good word for ya. Don't you fret about a thing," Caldina reassured him. She said that she had to go back to her post, and that she would see him later.

"Hmph! Easy for her to say. She doesn't know what it's like because she never had to fight them," grouched Ascot.

"I know exactly how you feel. Only those who have witnessed the magic knights' abilities first hand know what it's like," said a woman's voice.

Ascot looked up. There was Alcyone, trapped in a bubble. Ascot didn't need any help from her. She failed Zagato thrice. How could she possibly help him?

"Mind your own business, old lady! You've failed numerous times. You can't help me," said Ascot, rudely.

"But I can do it. All I need is for you to let me out of this bubble," said Alcyone.

"I don't think so. Zagato would kill me if I did that," said Ascot.

"If we succeed in conquering those miserable magic knights, he would not care," countered Alcyone.

Ascot was becoming impatient with Alcyone. "No way, Jose'! I'm not that desperate!"

"Well, suit yourself. I guess you're not interested in the secret weapon I have for your creatures," said Alcyone, shrugging.

Ascot gasped, and thought about this for a moment. This secret weapon, whatever it was sounded very interesting. But it still didn't change the fact that Alcyone was incompetent. The last thing he wanted was to be pulled down with her. Not to mention that he did not trust her one bit.

"Thanks but no thanks! I'll think of some other way!" said Ascot. With that, he went back to his post to conjure up some sort of plan.

_'Foolish little boy,' _thought Alcyone. She was extremely miffed that she would have to find her own way to free herself.

* * *

><p>Umi, Fuu and Hikaru were inside their egg-shaped tent, relaxing. They were surprised that they were actually getting a break from fighting. They expected Ascot to show up with another monster. They were pretty sure that he would show up sooner or later, so they were making the most of their relaxation.<p>

"Isn't this great?" asked Umi. She was gradually changing her mind about Cephiro.

"It sure is. The only time we got to rest was when we slept, mostly," said Hikaru.

Fuu thought this was a little too good to be true. As much as she enjoyed the break, she didn't want the girls to forget that they were not on a vacation. She reminded Hikaru and Fuu about this.

"Blah, blah blah. Do you always have to sound like a teacher?" asked Umi, sighing.

"Just a friendly reminder," was all Fuu would say.

"And you are right," said Hikaru. She recalled her vow to Presea. She promised to visit her again after she and the other girls succeeded in becoming true magic knights.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>Ascot was with his "friend" Kapella, making evil plans. He was nearing his breaking point with the magic knights. They had managed to kill 3 of his creatures. It was a good thing that he hadn't accepted Alcyone's offer. He would have lost another creature for sure. Not to mention Zagato's respect. He just hoped that Caldina was right and that he would eventually succeed.<p>

"Those magic knights will not be so lucky this time. You and I will defeat them together," Ascot said to the ugly green-colored creature. The creature growled as if he were refusing. That was a reaction Ascot didn't expect. Was he going to have to train him to obey all over again? He hoped not, since he thought all of his beasts respected him as their master.

"What? What do you mean, you don't care? They were good friends of ours. Don't you want to avenge them?"

Kapella growled again. This time, he seemed to be agreeing to Ascot's plan.

"Good. Now let's do it," said Ascot. He merged with the monster. He felt this would give his creature a better chance of winning. They went to the shrine of the dormant Rune-God, Selece.

From within the beast, Ascot smirked at the girls from another world, at how they were so engrossed in their conversation that they did not notice his presence.

"Look at those stupid girls with their silly giggling. Crushing them will be a piece of cake this time!"

* * *

><p>Alcyone was thinking of ways to get out of the bubble she had been trapped in. It was quite a difficult task to accomplish. Whatever Zagato had done to trap her inside in the first place, he had done very well. He obviously would be able to get her out with ease, but she didn't want to have to rely on him. He didn't even respect her anymore so it was obvious that he would not help her break free.<p>

'_Darn that prepubescent pompous windbag Ascot,' _thought Alcyone. She felt absurd for letting kids undermine her, but then again, the magic knights and Ascot were not your average bratty kid. Zagato was adamant about not giving her one last chance, which certainly didn't appease her anger at all. In fact, it made her abhor the magic knights even more. She used her strongest ice-related attack to penetrate the bubble. Although she wounded herself in the process, she managed to succeed. She landed on the floor with a loud thud.

'_Well, that was painful. It was worth it, though,'_ thought Alcyone, rubbing her backside. She began to think of possible ways to regain Zagato's respect. She would dispose of those pesky magic knights even if she ended up dying in the process. That is, if he didn't kill her for escaping his clutches first.

Suddenly, she thought of a wicked scheme. Not one involving the magic knights, but rather her greatest archenemy Dinah. She heard Zagato mention that she was resting and that she was not to be disturbed while she was trapped inside of the bubble, but she didn't feel like being obedient this time. She was so sick and tired of taking backseat to the woman when it came to respect.

_'Dinah...I'm coming to get you,' _the middle-aged sorceress thought, chuckling to herself. She was going to have to come up with a subtle way to make her life miserable, without getting caught.

* * *

><p>Hikaru, Umi and Fuu finally made it to the underwater shrine, thanks to the miniature flying capsule Mokona had conjured for them.<p>

"So this is the place?" asked Hikaru.

"It appears so," said Fuu.

Something nagged at Umi. She wondered why Mokona didn't lead her and the other girls to the shrine, if he had known that one of the Rune-Gods dwelled there. She didn't like having to do things the difficult way.

'_Well, it had better be worth it,'_thought Umi.

"Umi? Ready to go?" asked Hikaru.

Umi nodded.

"Let's go."

Umi, Hikaru and Fuu entered the shrine.

"This shrine is quite spacious," stated Fuu. She and the other girls kept walking. They came to an extremely massive room. In this room was a blue dragon.

"A dragon?" asked Hikaru.

All of a sudden, a blue aura surrounded Umi. Her eyes went blank and she walked toward the dragon. It was like she was being hypnotized.

"What's up with Umi?" asked Hikaru.

"It appears that she is in a trance," said Fuu.

"Young woman from another world," said the dragon in a very deep voice.

Umi was unsure of how to reply. The dragon's voice was unlike none she had ever heard. Still in a trance, Umi reached up to touch the dragon.

"My name is Selece, and I'm a legendary Rune-God. I may only be touched by a legendary magic knight," said the dragon.

"Did you hear that?" Hikaru asked Fuu.

"That dragon is..." began Fuu.

Selece's eyes and forehead glowed and emitted what appeared to be a gust of wind. The gust of wind swept Hikaru and Fuu out of the room. It was obvious that Selece was only interested in Umi.

"Why'd he do that?" asked Hikaru. She was worried about Umi's safety in that room. She banged on the door, but it was no use.

"Well, if Miss Umi succeeds in reviving the Rune-God, we would soon be able to rescue Princess Emeraude and save this land," said Fuu.

"Sorry, girls, but that's not going to happen!"

It was the voice of a little boy. Hikaru and Fuu recognized the voice.

"Who are you?" asked Hikaru.

Ascot ignored the question.

"You girls had no right killing off my friends the way you did! You will pay! You will pay big time!" ranted Ascot.

'_Who are these friends?' _thought Hikaru. She wondered if he was talking about the monsters he had sent to fight her and the other girls, and decided that he had to be, since she hadn't seen him playing with any young children. Not to mention that neither she nor her friends would even _think _ about murdering a young child.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

* * *

><p>"Young girl...thou hast been summoned here from another world. Display before me the true strength of thy power. Show unto me the strength of thine heart, that makes thee worthy of becoming a true magic knight," said Selece.<p>

"Strength of my heart..." mumbled Umi. She had no idea how she would do that, whatever this Rune-God wanted her to do. Not that she really knew what he meant.

"I don't understand..." she said.

Selece explained to her what he meant. Umi understood a bit better, but still had no idea how to prove the strength of her heart. For starters, what was the strength of her heart? She would have to figure it out quickly if she wanted to become a true magic knight.

Meanwhile, Fuu and Hikaru were struggling to battle Ascot and his creature. Their attacks were useless. The monster attacked, and Fuu and Hikaru were wounded. Ascot snickered at them.

"You girls are so pathetic! I can't believe that Alcyone lost to you!"

* * *

><p>High Priest Zagato viewed all of this in the water mirror. A cruel smile spread across his face. He enjoyed seeing the magic knights on their knees.<p>

_'Congratulations, Ascot. It looks like you will succeed for once. I'm afraid that the magic knights will not go any further,' _thought Zagato.

Fuu wondered how she could defeat Kapella. All the other efforts had failed miserably. She looked at the glowing gem on its forehead. That was the one spot that she and Hikaru had not attacked yet. She thought it was possible that the gem was the weak area.

"Miss Hikaru! Try attacking the gem on his forehead!" said Fuu.

Hikaru did so, and Kapella was weakened. Ascot fell out of the monster. _'A child?' _thought Fuu. She had known that something was not right.

" Look at our real problem," said Hikaru. She pointed to Ascot on the floor.

"I knew his voice was too cute for such a monster," said Fuu.

Ascot was not falling for that. He rose to his feet and yelled at Fuu and Hikaru.

"You're no different from those villagers!" accused Ascot.

Hikaru's patience with Ascot was wearing thin. He was the one who commanded his monsters to cause trouble, and yet he had the gall to blame others for his actions. She finally let him know that he was to blame. He was a little taken aback by what she said. He had never heard those words from anyone before.

Kapella decided to turn on Ascot. It attacked him. Ascot was not expecting that.

"Hey, it's me, Ascot!"

The monster refused to listen. Instead, it attacked him along with the 2 girls.

The doors to the room cracked open, and Umi saw what happened just in time. "Hikaru! Fuu!" she cried. She raced to help them, but Selece ordered her to halt. She stopped in her tracks.

"Thou must leave them be!" said Selece.

"Why?" asked Umi. She knew that she shouldn't question a Rune-God, but she couldn't help herself. To her, Selece sounded cruel.

"Thine prime objective is to defeat High Priest Zagato. Thou must not be killed at this time. In order to defeat Zagato, thou must survive, even if thy friends should perish. That must be the strength of thine heart."

Umi couldn't believe it. She could never abandon her friends when they needed her most. If reviving a Rune-God meant abandoning her friends, she did not want to acquire one. If it made her idealistic, so be it. She made up her mind. She ran out of the room to aid her friends. The monster noticed Umi, and attacked her.

"Winds of Protection!"

Umi looked up, and saw a gust of winds shielding her.

"Fuu, I'm glad you're all right!" said Umi, relieved.

"It appears that I have learned a new spell," said Fuu weakly. She collapsed onto the floor.

Hikaru attacked with Ruby Lightning, a new spell for her. The attacked weakened the monster a bit more, but the spell took a lot of energy out of her. She collapsed as well.

Umi still felt stung by what Selece said. Little did she know, Selece was only testing her.

"If it means not fighting alongside my friends...I don't need a...Rune-God!" screamed out Umi. At that, Selece disappeared. Umi shrugged it off, and attacked with Water Dragon. The monster was finally defeated.

The dragon shaped Rune-God transformed itself into a robot. Umi was astonished by this.

"What the..." she began. Hikaru and Fuu were surprised, too.

"Young woman from another world...thou has proven unto me the strength of thine heart, that cares for thy comrades," said Selece.

Umi couldn't believe that. A few moments ago, Selece had told her that the strength of her heart was to escape from danger, even if her friends perished, and now he was congratulating her for demonstrating how much she cared about her friends? What was going on here?

"But...what about those things you said before?" asked Umi, puzzled.

"Thou hast overcome the challenge."

Umi was lost, but Hikaru and Fuu understood.

"It appears that the Rune-God was testing Miss Umi," stated Fuu.

"Oh, I see," said Umi, understanding.

"However, thine heart is still not ready to accept me unto thineself. I will reveal myself unto thee when thou has awakened into a true magic knight," said Selece. With that, he disappeared. The girls' armor and weapons evolved.

* * *

><p>Zagato and Dinah saw all of this. "One of the Rune-Gods has been revived," he said. He didn't care to admit it, but those girls from another world were more formidable than he gave them credit for. However, it did not mean that he would capitulate.<p>

"What will you do about it?" Dinah asked Zagato.

"I will pulverize those magic knights once and for all," replied Zagato.

Dinah thought this was quite rash on his part. But she also knew that he was stubborn when it came to his decisions, and she didn't want to risk angering him.

"Do as you see fit," she said.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>The magic knights were back on the flying capsule, on their way to Princess Emeraude's castle. Umi was so busy celebrating her accomplishment that she was getting ahead of herself. Fuu had to remind her that they still had a long way to go before they could return to Tokyo.<p>

"Must you always sound like my English teacher?" asked Umi. She hated when Fuu was so right all the time. It always made her feel stupid.

"We're closer than we were before," said Hikaru.

"Yeah, and we'll get even closer with armor and weapons!" said Umi, giggling.

Hikaru wondered where Princess Emeraude's castle could be. All of a sudden, the sky grew dark and a flash of lightning appeared.

"What's going on?" asked Umi, clearly frightened. The other 2 girls felt a bit scared, too, especially when an image of a man dressed in black appeared.

"Who are you?" asked Hikaru.

"I am the high priest, Zagato," replied the man. "I have to admit that I didn't expect you to make it this far. I commend you, magic knights."

Umi's first impression? This guy was creepy. Just listening to this guy speak made a chill go down her spine. The fact that he was quite attractive was not enough to pacify her fears. Not until he proved her wrong. Unfortunately, her fear of him would only grow stronger. Hikaru and Fuu found Zagato a bit intimidating as well, but they successfully hid their fears.

"It is now time to end this," Zagato went on. He emitted a blast of lightning from his hands. The lightning struck the flying capsule like a bowling ball knocking down all the pins. The girls screamed in pain. Zagato was preparing to deliver the final blow, but the magic knights disappeared. Zagato was able to guess who was behind this, especially when the water mirror shattered into pieces. Using his cape, Zagato shielded himself from the falling glass. It only had to be Princess Emeraude who was behind this. She is the only one who was capable of accomplishing such an action, even while imprisoned. He went to see her about this.

As usual, Princess Emeraude was on the flower, partially hunched over. She straightened up a bit. She was not surprised to see Zagato standing there. She knew that it would be foolish to expect him not to see her about what she did.

"Princess Emeraude... you saved the magic knights, didn't you?" he asked.

Princess Emeraude ignored the question.

"Stop it...please stop this. If you continue, our world will be in ruins," said Princess Emeraude.

There she went again, begging him to cease the battle. He really wished that she would quit trying to oppose him. Not even her pleading would change his mind...or so he thought. At the same time, he couldn't bring himself to harm her, even though she opposed him. And it broke his heart to see her in tears. He left the water dungeon.

* * *

><p>"How did it go?" asked Dinah, when Zagato returned.<p>

Zagato told her about how he nearly succeeded in defeating the magic knights, but Princess Emeraude rescued them.

"I see. Princess Emeraude's heart is unwavering, isn't it?" asked Dinah.

"Yes it is. She is like me. However, her desire differs from my desire," said Zagato.

Dinah did not find the right way to tell him what was on her mind yet. It wasn't necessarily the matter of not knowing what to say. She just didn't think it was the appropriate time yet.

"Well, don't despair. You will have another opportunity to cross paths with the magic knights," said Dinah. She secretly wanted to meet them herself so she could convince them that Zagato was not who he appeared to be. But she would have to wait until she was feeling at her best. Maybe she could persuade Zagato to let her go with him to personally meet the magic knights the next time he went to confront them.

"Excuse me," said Dinah, politely. She went to go and get some rest. She bumped into someone on the way back to her room. She looked up to see who it was. When she saw, her reasonably decent mood turned sour. It was her least favourite person, Alcyone.

'_ Oh great,' _thought Dinah, sarcastically.

"Well, if it isn't Dinah, the wanna-be sorceress," mocked Alcyone.

"I think you're speaking about yourself," retorted Dinah. She was usually very easygoing and friendly, but when dealing with people like Alcyone, that was when she had the tendency to get nasty.

"Is that so? Then why is it that Lord Zagato never sends you to battle those neophyte magic knights?" asked Alcyone.

"I'm unwell, dagnabbit!" snapped Dinah. She was really beginning to see red.

"Yeah right. You're just saying that so that Lord Zagato would take pity on you. But then again, I do not blame him at all. You couldn't defeat them if your life depended on it," taunted Alcyone.

In actuality, Dinah was quite a powerful warrior. But Alcyone was not willing to admit her jealousy. Those remarks of hers did it. Dinah's patience had been worn thin. She started to walk to her room before she really lost her temper. Whenever she lost her temper, it wasn't pretty. Alcyone sensed her annoyance, but felt that Dinah was incapable of defending herself. She attacked Dinah with her Ice Missles attack in order to prove it. Although caught off guard, Dinah did a wonderful job defending herself. She melted the icicle shards with one of her fire attacks. That took a lot of energy out of her, and she collapsed.

* * *

><p>Zagato sensed this, and went to see what happened. He stopped short when he saw Dinah unconscious and Alcyone standing there. He was able to piece together what happened when he saw the melted ice that littered the floor. Anger at Alcyone filled him. It was one thing for her to be incompetent, but when she disobeyed him, she went too far.<p>

"I ordered you not to interfere with Dinah, did I not?" asked Zagato with a hint of fury in his voice.

Alcyone was shaking. She knew what Zagato was capable of when he completely lost patience. Still, she would try to persuade him to spare her life, although she knew it was hopeless.

"Yes, Lord Zagato," said Alcyone, in a barely audible voice.

Zagato was infuriated about Alcyone's insubordination, and Alcyone knew it.

"Please forgive me, Lord Zagato. It won't happen again," begged Alcyone.

"That's enough out of you," said Zagato. He attacked her with his greatest spell.

"Ahhhh!" screeched Alcyone as the pain rocketed through her body. She fell backwards and was still.

Zagato teleported the unconscious Dinah to her room.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

* * *

><p>After a couple of days, Dinah finally regained her strength and was on her feet again. She was especially pleased when she heard that Zagato had executed Alcyone for her disobedience. Alcyone was a thorn in her side that she hoped would be eliminated. She went inside the castle's kitchen and filled one of Zagato's goblets with red liquid. She teleported to the throne room. The room was dark inside, which was good, since she couldn't handle lights very well. Sure enough, there Zagato was, sitting on his throne.<p>

"Here's your wine, Lord Zagato," said Dinah, handing Zagato the glass filled with red liquid.

"Thank you, Dinah," said Zagato. He took a sip.

"I will let you rest now," said Dinah. She left the throne room.

Zagato relaxed on his throne. Although slightly displeased that Caldina and Ascot had deserted him, he couldn't complain, although it was hard to find competent henchmen. Not even an ailing servant was enough to put a damper on his spirits, although it was quite difficult to deal with. All of a sudden, Inouva appeared.

"What is it, Inouva?" asked Zagato.

"Forgive me for having disturbed your rest. I have come to ask your permission to face the magic knights and defeat them once and for all."

"Inouva," Zagato began. He had doubts about this, since Inouva was his best henchman, his second-in-command. He didn't want to risk losing him too.

"Alcyone, Ascot and Caldina battled the magic knights, and were overcome. Dinah is unable to participate in this battle. Please, give me a chance to prove my loyalty to you," said Inouva.

In surprise, Zagato slammed his goblet down. Inouva took it as a sign of anger. He was so afraid of feeling his master's wrath.

"I'm sorry if I have forgotten my place," said the lavender haired man.

"Inouva, are you saying that you have been by my side after all this time?" asked Zagato.

"Yes, my lord," answered Inouva.

Zagato gave him permission to go after the magic knights.

"Yes, Lord," said Inouva. With that, he disappeared from the throne room.

* * *

><p>Dinah had gone to see how Princess Emeraude was doing. Princess Emeraude had a sad expression on her face, like she always did. Dinah really couldn't stand to see Princess Emeraude so sorrowful. Princess Emeraude looked up at Dinah.<p>

"Dinah, it's you. How are you feeling now?" asked the blonde princess.

"Good enough. In fact, this is the best I have felt in awhile," replied Dinah. "How about you? Are you feeling any better?"

Princess Emeraude sadly shook her head.

"I'm so afraid that this world will fall. With Zagato's wrongdoing and my fear, the condition of Cephiro is deteriorating. And I've seen that all of this has placed a strain on your health. I hope those girls from another world hurry before it's too late. I cannot take it anymore," said Princess Emeraude.

It pained Dinah to see Princess Emeraude like this. She really wanted to help her, to do the one thing that would cease the flowing of her tears. She despised the pillar system as well, but she believed that there was a way to prevent the legend from coming true without obliterating the magic knights.

"I have found the right way to convince Lord Zagato to go about this another way. I just need to wait until the right time comes. I do not want this world to crumble, but I do not want you to die, either," said Dinah.

Princess Emeraude felt hopeful when she heard that. Her only fear was that by the time Dinah had the opportunity to persuade Zagato to end the war, it would already be too late. And she still had doubts about whether Cephiro could stand without its pillar system or not. She made the decision to ask Mage Clef about that if Zagato freed him from the spell.

"All right. For your sake, I will wait to see what happens before I make my decision," said Princess Emeraude, relenting.

Dinah was glad to hear that. She only hoped that after this was over, there would be a smile on Princess Emeraude's face for once.

"I shall not return to this room until I have spoken to him about this, and that is a promise," vowed Dinah. In a flash, she disappeared from the water dungeon.

Emeraude felt better after her conversation with Dinah, but just a little. The weight off her shoulder would not be lifted until the reign of terror was over. She was interested in seeing what Dinah would do to convince Zagato to stop the senseless violence. Begging didn't make him relent and it was too risky to do anything drastic. Generally she preferred not to resort to such a method.

Just then, Zagato appeared. The pillar glanced up at him, and saw that he had an unreadable expression on his face, one that seemed to be nonchalance. She wondered what he had to report this time. She hoped that it was just to see her and not to tell her about any nefarious scheme he came up with. She didn't care to hear about any more wicked schemes. Not then, anyway. She made an effort to make her expression look emotionless as well.

"I see that you're looking well," the high priest told her.

She couldn't tell if he was genuinely concerned about her well-being or if he was mocking her. She didn't say anything.

"Those girls from another world may have revived one Rune-God, but they will not advance any further," said the raven haired priest coldly. "Those magic knights will die by Inouva's hands."

Emeraude had a look of horror. She had given him Inouva as a gift and here he was, using him to do his dirty work. Even though Inouva personally requested that he be given a chance to deal with the magic knights, she still couldn't believe it. "Please stop with the violence or you will live to regret it."

The constant pleading didn't faze Zagato in the least. The only thing he regretted was not taking matters into his own hands sooner. "Won't you stop resisting me? It is hopeless." With a swoosh of his cape he left.

Emeraude gave a sad sigh. The tiny glimmer of hope she had disappeared. What was she going to do now? It seemed like Zagato was becoming more unreachable with each day. If only she was able to take her own life as the pillar of Cephiro. She probably would have done so right then and there.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

* * *

><p>Inouva returned from his battle with the magic knights. He had had the upper hand against them, but due to Fuu's success in reviving the second Rune-God Windam, he was defeated. He knew that Zagato would be at least minorly disappointed. He bowed before Zagato.<p>

"I beg for your forgiveness, Lord Zagato. I only ask that you return me to my original form," said Inouva.

"I cannot," said Zagato. He ordered Lafarga the swordmaster to come forth. A man with blonde hair cut short in the front and a long ponytail in the back appeared.

"Come with me to see your former master," said Zagato. Of course, he was talking about Princess Emeraude. He teleported to the water dungeon.

_'Magic knights, please hurry and revive those Rune-Gods. Dinah, end this before it's too late,' _thought Princess Emeraude, weeping softly.

"Are you feeling any pain?" Zagato asked her.

"Zagato..won't you please stop? Please stop this," begged Princess Emeraude, "if you continue, our world will be in ruins."

"I'm afraid that my heart is unchanged. Even if this world were to crumble, even if everyone in this world were to die, my heart will not waver," said Zagato. "Princess Emeraude."

"Zagato," said the princess.

"Sea god Selece, wind god Windam... two Rune-Gods have been awakened from their slumber by those girls from another world. Only one Rune-God remains. The scarlet Rune-God that lies in the fire shrine has not been revived," Zagato told her.

All of a sudden, Lafarga appeared. Princess Emeraude was happy to see him. She had not seen him since the day Zagato kidnapped her. Zagato had attacked Lafarga when he had tried to stop him from taking her, and she had been worried about him ever since. She was relieved to see that Lafarga was alive and well. Unbeknownst to Princess Emeraude, this was not the same Lafarga.

"It's you, Lafarga," she said.

"That's right. Lafarga was the captain of the guard that protected you. Of course, when you were the pillar, there was not much to protect you or the castle from. He was merely employed to combat the occasional monster or two. He was known as the strongest swordsman in all of Cephiro," said Zagato, "do you think those girls you summoned from another world have chances of defeating him?"

Princess Emeraude now knew what Zagato had in mind. He planned to use Lafarga's strengths to his advantage. She just couldn't let that happen. She begged Lafarga to not listen to Zagato.

"Your cries are useless. I have cast a spell on Lafarga that controls his heart," Zagato informed her.

Princess Emeraude was appalled at that. She never thought that Zagato would go as far as manipulating others against their wills.

"How could you do such a cruel thing?" cried Princess Emeraude. She pleaded with Lafarga to wake up, but to no avail.

"Go now, Lafarga, and when you return, bring with you the corpses of those magic knights," ordered Zagato.

Like a robot, Lafarga bowed respectfully, and left to carry out Zagato's orders.

Zagato turned to Princess Emeraude. "If you insist on opposing me, you will prolong your anguish. Give up if you want to make things easier for yourself." With that, he left the water dungeon.

Princess Emeraude was distressed by Zagato's personality change. She was tempted to do as he said and give up, if it would make him happy. But she knew that it would only make matters worse. Besides, she didn't want to break the promise she made to Dinah.

* * *

><p>Zagato went back to the throne room to relax. Dinah came in with a plate of cheese sticks.<p>

"Here's a snack for you," said Dinah.

"Thank you," said Zagato, taking the plate from Dinah.

Dinah asked him about the magic knights' progress.

"They have revived 2 Rune-Gods so far," answered Zagato.

"I'm not surprised. I expect nothing less from the legendary magic knights," said Dinah. She covered her mouth with her hands. She didn't want Zagato to know her opinion just yet. Thankfully for her, Zagato didn't suspect anything.

"Well, those children will not reach any further. Lafarga is battling them as we speak," said Zagato.

"I see," said Dinah. For Emeraude's sake, she hoped that the magic knights would be victorious over Lafarga, and that Lafarga would regain his memories.

"Well, I will go and rest now. Enjoy your snack," said Dinah. She left the throne room.

* * *

><p>After a brief battle, Lafarga finally regained his memories. He had no idea where he was and what he was doing there. And he wanted to know who the three girls were.<p>

"Where am I?" asked Lafarga.

Before Hikaru could answer, he went on to ask where Princess Emeraude was.

"I must save Princess Emeraude," he said.

Hikaru was surprised to hear that.

"Save the princess? You mean that you're not one of Zagato's minions?" she asked.

Lafarga explained who he was, and about how he tried to stop Zagato from taking Princess Emeraude, but he failed. He became worried when he saw Hikaru's bleeding face.

"How did you get those wounds? Was it me?" he asked.

"You weren't responsible because you were being controlled by Zagato. Don't worry about it," said Hikaru.

"Hello over there! If he's not one of Zagato's minions, do you think he can help us get out of here?" called Umi. She and Fuu raced over to where Hikaru and Lafarga were.

Hikaru gave Lafarga back his sword. He apologized for what happened.

"I'm sorry about the flames," said Hikaru. "You didn't get burned?"

"Do not worry about me," said Lafarga. He asked the three girls who they were.

Hikaru explained to him that she and the other girls were summoned from another worlds to become magic knights. The magic knights rung a bell with Lafarga. He recalled hearing about the legend some time ago.

"So you are the ones. Only those summoned from another world can become magic knights," said Lafarga.

Umi asked him what he planned to do now.

"I will now continue my quest to search out and rescue Princess Emeraude. You girls have set me free from the nightmare of Zagato's evil magic spell. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know we will meet again," said Lafarga, leaving. Umi and Fuu called after him, but he was already gone.

"Let's go and revive the last Rune-God," said Hikaru. She thought about how proud Presea would be of her and the other girls. Hikaru, Fuu and Umi continued on their journey to the fire shrine. Hikaru thought about how they were able to become friends with some of their former enemies.

_'Hmm, it would be nice if we can somehow become friends with Zagato, too,'_ she thought. Something told her that underneath his ruthless exterior was a very good person. She hoped that her instincts were right.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

* * *

><p>The three girls from another world continued on their journey to revive the remaining Rune-God, with Mokona as their guide. They were so proud of themselves and thought they had made good progress thus far. Just one step away from becoming true magic knights. They hoped that there wouldn't be any more delays. That was beginning to get old. They glanced at the sky, and noticed how dark and gloomy it looked. They stopped to rest for a minute.<p>

"What's the matter, Hikaru? What's on your mind?" asked Umi, noticing Hikaru's grim expression.

"I was just thinking about how beautiful the sky used to be when we first came here. Now it is so dreary looking," said Hikaru.

"Yes, I have noticed that as well," said Fuu.

"Yes. It used to be so lovely," Umi agreed. Suddenly, she felt angry. She knew why the weather had become so horrid...at least she thought she knew.

"This is all Zagato's fault!" shouted Umi.

Fuu and Hikaru were startled by Umi's outburst. They wondered what could have brought this on since she had been keeping her cool earlier.

"It is all because he kidnapped Princess Emeraude, turned Clef into stone and sent his cronies to do his dirty work for him! He's a real jerk! Wait till I get my hands on him!" vented Umi, balling her hands into fists.

"Calm down, Miss Umi. Such vehemence won't help," said Fuu.

"Yeah. Remember that we are not strong enough to defeat him yet," Hikaru reminded Umi. Secretly she didn't want to fight him, but she didn't want the girls to know that. Not with Umi this angry.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Umi begrudgingly. She was still angry about it, though.

Hikaru thought about what Caldina had told her and the other girls about Zagato possessing something more valuable than Cephiro. She was curious to know what this thing was. She decided that she would ask him the next time she and her friends crossed paths with him, which was guaranteed. Maybe she and the other girls could try reasoning with him. She knew that Umi wouldn't go for that, but she felt that convincing her and Fuu was worth a try. She really didn't want to do something that she would regret later. If there was good in Ascot, Caldina and Lafarga, then surely there must be good in Zagato as well.

Mokona hopped into Umi's arms. His forehead started to glow.

"Look, Mokona's forehead," said Umi.

The beam from Mokona's forehead projected an image of Mage Clef.

"Clef, how are you?" asked Hikaru.

"Are you all right, Mr. Clef?" asked Fuu.

Mage Clef didn't answer. His facial expression was stone-gray.

"Mr. Clef, what's the matter?" asked Fuu, worried.

"I believe that this is the last time I will communicate with you. I cannot suppress Zagato's magic any longer," said the trapped Mage Clef.

"You cannot give up!" said Hikaru. She had a tremendous amount of faith in him.

"Cephiro is continuing to crumble. Please hurry and become magic knights. I fear that before you are able to become true magic knights, Cephiro will crumble and you will be eradicated from this world," said Mage Clef.

The three girls didn't like the sound of that.

"Crumble?" repeated Umi. This made her even more angry at Zagato as well as more determined to become a magic knight. If the world crumbled before she and her friends were able to return to Tokyo, she would never forgive him.

"Eradicated?" asked Fuu.

"Young girls from another world...I have one last thing to tell you. The fire shrine is located..." began Mage Clef. Before he was able to finish his sentence, he disappeared.

"Clef, don't go!" said Hikaru. Though she herself was a bit angry with Zagato for the pain he caused, she was willing to forgive him. She vowed to find out his true motives after she revived the final Rune-God.

"Let's go, you guys," said Hikaru. She and her best friends went on their way.

* * *

><p>In the castle, Princess Emeraude was still trying to reason with Zagato. As usual, his heart was unyielding, but seeing her in tears was almost too much for him. He clenched his fist and left the water dungeon.<p>

Inouva entered the throne room, and bowed respectfully.

"What is the condition of Princess Emeraude?" asked Inouva.

"Exactly the same. Her heart has not wavered since the battle first began. Her tears have not stopped for a single moment," answered Zagato.

Inouva somewhat admired the princess' strong will, even though her objectives were different. He beseeched Zagato to give him one last chance to defeat the magic knights, but in his true form this time. He desperately wanted to repay Zagato for keeping him by his side, even if it was only because he was a gift from Princess Emeraude.

Zagato had his doubts about this. Inouva was not ordinary, but a creature with the highest magical powers. He reminded his servant that if he reverted to that form, it would be impossible for him to return to human form.

"I understand that, my lord. But this one chance is all I need," said Inouva.

There was one thing that puzzled the high priest. It seemed like Inouva was willing to sacrifice himself to defeat the magic knights. None of his servants with the exception of Dinah had such extensive loyalty to him before when it came to making him happy. He wondered what motivated Inouva's devotion.

"Why is it that you devote myself to me?" he asked.

"I have seen you beside the princess all this time, and I have seen you reveal your emotions to her as well. Cephiro is the land of the will, so there is no chance that your wish will not come true," said the second-in-command.

"You believe that, even if it is an evil wish that will destroy everything of value in Cephiro?" asked Zagato.

"Let them call you evil. It does not matter to me. I just want you to achieve your goal," said Inouva.

Zagato finally relented, and changed Inouva back into his original form, a wolf-like creature with a gem on his forehead. The cape he had been wearing in his human form came off. Inouva disappeared, and went to hunt the magic knights down. He stood on the edge of a cliff, waiting for them to fall into his trap. _'Those silly little girls will not be so lucky this time,' _ he thought.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

The battle between Inouva and the magic knights was in progress. The situation looked extremely dire for the 3 girls. The fact that Inouva was able to use all of his powers gave him the advantage. He was forever grateful to Zagato for returning him to his original form. Umi, Fuu and Hikaru were appalled by the power that Inouva demonstrated.

"This beast is unbeatable!" said Umi.

"That's right! You might as well accept defeat!" taunted the beast.

"I don't understand why our magic isn't working!" said Hikaru, frustrated.

"Die, magic knights!" roared Inouva. He used another electric attack on the magic knights. They evaded the attack as best as they could.

"We have to find out its weakness somehow," said Fuu. She was beginning to fear that she and her friends would die by the beast's hands this time.

*******

Ferio was sitting on a rock, thinking about things.

_'I sure hope that those girls are all right,'_ he thought. He thought about how beautiful the sky used to be, and how Cephiro used to be a tranquil world under Princess Emeraude's reign. He started to reminisce about his past. The earliest memories he had as a child was when he was wandering around the castle.

_*Flashback begins*_

_"That item was something I gave to that young man as a gift. he did not steal it" Princess Emeraude informed the guards. "Ferio."_

_*Flashback ends*_

_' I remember. Instead of punishing me for being a snoop, she let me keep this orb. Here's something I'd like to know. How in the world did she know my name in the first place?'_ wondered Ferio. It was something he never really thought about before. But now it nagged at him since he never remembered meeting her before then.

_* Flashback begins*_

_"Sister!" called young Ferio, running to catch up with Princess Emeraude. Princess Emeraude was about to go into the castle to begin her duties as the pillar._

_"Well, Ferio, we shall never meet again. My dear sweet only brother," said Princess Emeraude._

_A bit later, young Ferio went inside the castle to request something of Princess Emeraude before they had to part ways._

_"Sister, I have a request for you," said young Ferio.  
><em>_  
>"A request?" asked Princess Emeraude.<em>

_"Would you erase any memory I have of our family relationship? And please try to forget that you had a brother as well. You are the pillar of Cephiro now, and I want you to have very little problems to worry about," said young Ferio._

_Princess Emeraude was silent for a moment. Despite her duties, she still didn't want to forget that she ever had a brother. This was asking too much._

_"Even if I erase your memory as you asked, I still do not think I would ever be able to forget you," said Princess Emeraude. She handed him one of the orbs._

_"It has magical powers that would enable you to communicate even if you're far away," explained the Princess. "So take this magic orb. That way, I will always remember the voice of my dear sweet only brother."_

_*Flashback ends*  
><em>  
><em>'What the hell? I am Princess Emeraude's little brother?' <em>he thought incredulously. Now he knew why he was so worried about her. His magic orb pulsated.

"Ferio," said Princess Emeraude.

"Sister!" said Ferio.

"Are you really willing to call me your sister once again?" asked Princess Emeraude, surprised. She let him know that his memories were returning because her powers were weakening, and the seal on his memories had been released.

"How can I save you? Please tell me!" said Ferio. He felt bad that the magic knights had to do all of the work, almost as if he were useless. If he could save his sister when she needed it, he would prove to himself what a good younger brother he could be.

"Only those girls from another world can do this. And right now they are in great peril," said Princess Emeraude. She let him know what was going on, and told him of Inouva's weakness.

"Please let the magic knights know," requested Princess Emeraude.

"Can do!" said Ferio. Using the magic orb, he called on the magic knights.

*******

The magic knights heard the orb pulsating.

"If you can hear me, let me know!" Ferio shouted into the orb.

"Ferio," said Fuu.

Ferio went on to tell the magic knights that Inouva's weakness was the gem on his forehead, and to attack the gem.

"Okay," said Hikaru. She told Fuu to take care of Umi.

"You can't fight it alone, Hikaru! Don't be reckless!" said Umi.

Hikaru ignored her, and aimed an attack at Inouva's forehead. The blast of energy hit the gem, producing a crack in it. Inouva let out a bloodcurdling howl of defeat. His last thoughts were of Zagato. Within minutes, he disappeared.

*******

'_Inouva,'_ thought Zagato. He knew what the defeat of Inouva meant. Sending Dinah to battle the magic knights was out of the question, so he would have to confront the magic knights personally. He went to let Princess Emeraude know about this.

Dinah wept silently over Inouva's death. She thought he did an exceptional job as a commander, and that he was a thoughtful gift to Zagato.

_'Farewell, Inouva,' t_hought Dinah, wiping tears away. This episode was the breaking point for her. She decided that she was ready to talk to Zagato about this war. She would not worry about the consequences. If she perished, she perished. She went to look for him.

*******

Zagato was in the water dungeon with Princess Emeraude. Dinah kept quiet so that she could hear what he was saying.

"Now that Inouva has been defeated, there is only one person who can defeat the magic knights," said Zagato.

Fear filled Princess Emeraude. She hoped that he wasn't thinking about sending Dinah into battle. She knew that Dinah might not make it. But his next sentence surprised her.

"I know that I will win," said Zagato.

Mixed feelings of relief and horror filled Princess Emeraude.

"Emeraude," said Zagato, softly. He left the water dungeon.

Dinah followed Zagato. She knew that this was her chance to meet the magic knights. She didn't care about the dangers to herself. She couldn't bear the thought of Zagato dying. For one thing, she didn't want Princess Emeraude to lose him, and for another, he had kept her by his side, and she wanted to repay him.

"Lord Zagato!" she called after him. Zagato turned around.

"What is it, Dinah?" he asked.

"I would like to go with you when you confront the magic knights. I would like to meet them," said Dinah.

"Dinah," Zagato began. He had his doubts about this. He didn't want to be responsible for any injury that might be inflicted on her.

"It's not for a battle. There is something I'd like to tell them," said Dinah.

Zagato was interested to hear what it was. He agreed to let Dinah accompany him, but on the condition that she would be careful.

"All right," promised Dinah. _'Don't you worry, Emeraude,' _ she thought. _'This war will be over before you know it.' _


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

* * *

><p>The trio of best friends felt very rejuvenated about defeating every one of Zagato's minions who tried to kill them, and were on their way to the shrine of the final Rune-God once again. Mokona hopped ahead of the magic knights into what appeared to be a cave.<p>

"Where did Mokona go?" asked Umi.

"I think Mokona is trying to tell us where the final Rune-God is," said Hikaru. She had quite a knack for understanding everything Mokona was trying to tell them. It was something that boggled Umi's mind.

"So the Rune-God is in this place? Okay..." said Umi.

"I think we should find out. However, we should be on guard, because something tells me that monsters are lurking inside," Fuu spoke up.

Umi groaned inwardly. There Fuu was again, saying things that would make others nervous. The most frustrating thing was that she was usually right.

"Something tells me the same thing, but you don't have to say it out loud. It makes it harder to go in," said Umi, exasperated.

"Never mind that. Let's just go," said Hikaru. She led the way. Umi and Fuu followed.

"Pu pu pu pu pu pu pu, pu pu pu pu pu pu pu, pu pu pu pu pu pu, pu pu pu pu pu pu!" chanted Mokona as he skipped and hopped. Soon, he came to a stop. The magic knights came to a stop, too. They were standing in front of a gargantuan room.

The magic knights were surrounded by what appeared to be a volcano. It was hotter than the first two places the Rune-Gods were found. Mokona hopped into Umi's hand.

"You know something? I'm grateful to Presea for allowing us to have Mokona as a guide," said Hikaru.

"Same here. Sir Mokona has been a great asset for helping us find the Rune-Gods," agreed Fuu.

Even Umi, who was generally irritated by Mokona, had to agree.

"Although he always ran away when it was time for battle, he helped us out the best he could. Thanks a lot, Mokona," said Umi.

"Greetings, legendary magic knights," boomed an unfamiliar female's voice.

The three girls looked up, and saw a woman they had never seen before. This woman had longish chocolate coloured hair and gray-blue eyes. She wore a stylish charcoal coloured dress.

"Who are you?" asked Hikaru.

"My name is Dinah. I am High Priest Zagato's maidservant," said the woman.

"Zagato!" spat Umi venomously. Just hearing the name made her stomach churn.

Hikaru elbowed her friend in the ribs, which made the girl wince in pain. "U-mi!" she hissed.

"Please pardon Miss Umi's behavior," said Fuu, giving the blue haired girl a look that was reminding her to remember her manners. "We won't have to battle against you, will we?"

Dinah seemed undaunted by Umi's attitude. She smiled at the question Fuu asked her. Even if she wanted to battle them, she couldn't. "Not to worry. I am not here as an enemy," Dinah reassured them.

The girls gave a sigh of relief. They were all fought out and wanted their journey to go smoothly and peacefully for once.

"I have been anxious to meet you girls," said Dinah.

"Oh? Why is that?" asked Umi, a bit skeptically. She was not sure whether this woman could be trusted or not. For all she knew, this could be another one of Zagato's traps to keep her and her friends from reaching the shrine of the final Rune-God. She maintained the lesson she learnt from being in Cephiro—you can't expect everyone you meet in a foreign world to be friendly.

"There is something I would like to tell you," said Dinah.

"Go on," urged Fuu.

"Do not be fooled by Lord Zagato's exterior. He is not who he appears to be," said Dinah.

Umi muttered to herself about this. She thought Dinah was insane. All Zagato had done was cause trouble for everyone, and here she was, giving him the benefit of the doubt. She wouldn't trust Zagato further than she could throw him.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hikaru.

"Deep down, he is a sweetheart. It is a side of him that I miss. And the stress of this battle has affected my health," explained Dinah.

Something in Dinah's eyes made the magic knights feel for her, Hikaru especially. This made Hikaru even more determined to get through to Zagato. And although she didn't know exactly what was wrong with Dinah, she felt sorry for her, too.

The light was beginning to cause Dinah some discomfort. She forgot to bring her shades with her for a time like this.

"Magic knights...I'm afraid I must go now. I'm not feeling very well. Please consider what I said," said the sorceress. She disappeared into the shadows.

"Okay. That was weird," remarked Umi. This Dinah seemed sincere enough, but she still wasn't completely convinced that she was to be trusted. At that moment, the doors to the shrine opened. Before the girls could react, a strong reddish coloured wind swept Hikaru into the fire shrine. Her eyes went blank, as if she were in a trance. The doors to the shrine closed.

"Miss Hikaru!" screamed Fuu. She and Umi banged on the door, but it was no use. It was bolted shut.

* * *

><p>Zagato heard everything Dinah had told the magic knights. He was flabbergasted by what she said. He didn't understand why Dinah would give him the benefit of the doubt when his desire was clearly evil. And he wondered why she didn't tell him what troubled her before. Surely he would have at least considered what she was saying when his actions were putting a strain on her health.<p>

_'No matter. I shall speak to her about this after I take care of these magic knights,' _he thought. He revealed himself.

"I've been waiting for you, magic knights," he said.

"Zagato!" gasped Umi and Fuu.

Zagato fired an energy ball at Umi and Fuu. The attack transformed the girls back to ordinary humans. They screamed in pain as their armor disappeared.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

* * *

><p>Hikaru finally came out of her trance.<p>

' What's happening? I sense something,' thought Hikaru. She cautiously walked through the ring of flames. She stood still, and waited to see what would appear. In front of her was a creature with a white body, red eyes, and a mane made of flames.

_'What is this? Could it be a lion? Or perhaps a wolf?_' wondered Hikaru.

The creature spoke. "What is thy name?"

"Hikaru. Hikaru Shidou," answered Hikaru. She felt a bit nervous all of a sudden. This was her chance to revive a Rune-God. She hoped that she wouldn't fail miserably. There was too much at stake for that. She put her apprehensive feelings aside and focused her attention on what this lion-like creature had to say.

"My name is Rayearth. I have slept in this fire shrine for eons, awaiting the arrival of a magic knight. I am a legendary Rune-God," said the creature.

"Legendary Rune-God?" asked Hikaru.

"Young woman...thou hast been summoned from another world by the pillar of Cephiro. Dost thou wish to become a true magic knight?" asked Rayearth.

"Yes I do. I want to become a magic knight and save Cephiro. I also want to fulfill the hopes and dreams of the people who helped us, as well as save Princess Emeraude," said Hikaru.

"If that is so, then prove unto me the strength of thy power. Show unto me the strength of thine heart," said Rayearth.

"Strength of my heart," mumbled Hikaru. She wasn't exactly sure what that was, but she would have to figure it out quickly.

"Show unto me the strength of thine heart, which makes thee worthy of becoming a legendary magic knight," said Rayearth.

The flames swept Hikaru out of the room. She got up slowly, and looked to see how Fuu and Umi were doing. They were lying on the ground with no armor. Hikaru wondered who was capable of doing such a thing to them. At that moment, Zagato appeared.

"Who are you?" asked Hikaru.

"I am Zagato," he answered.

"Zagato," gasped Hikaru.

"You have defeated the servants I've sent after you, you revived 2 Rune-Gods, and now you're at the shrine of the last Rune-God. I didn't expect you to get this far, but this is the end," said Zagato.

Hikaru decided to put off trying to help him, for she knew she had something more important to do. She also wanted to make sure the others knew of her decision first.

"You controlled Ascot, Caldina, and even Lafarga, Captain of the Guard who protected Princess Emeraude. How could you? And tell me why you abducted Princess Emeraude," demanded Hikaru, " she's the most important person in all of Cephiro."

"Princess Emeraude will not return, and neither will this world, Cephiro," said Zagato nonchalantly.

Hikaru couldn't believe what she was hearing. It sounded like he wanted to kill Princess Emeraude. She didn't understand how Dinah could still be by his side after all this.

"What did you say?" asked Hikaru, bristling with anger. "What do you mean by that? Don't you care what happens to Cephiro?"

"No, I don't. There's only one thing in this world that I wish for," replied Zagato.

"Zagato, it's all your fault that Princess Emeraude and everyone else is suffering," said Hikaru angrily. "Can't you see how much this is hurting Dinah?"

Zagato was taken aback by this. Dinah never said anything about this to him before, and he was shocked that she kept her feelings inside for so long. Still, he was not about to be tossed down a peg or two by a child, no matter how formidable she had become.

"It is none of your concern," he said, firing a blast at Hikaru. She screamed as her armor disappeared.

"Magic knight... understand that it is impossible for you to defeat me," Zagato told Hikaru.

Hikaru stood in front of her two best friends.

"You're far too weak to shield them," said Zagato.

"I'll protect my best friends to the end," said Hikaru stubbornly.

"Unfortunately, this is the end, magic knight. Die!" said Zagato, launching another ball of energy at Hikaru.

Hikaru held up her hands in a defensive position, even though it would not be enough to shield herself. Luckily, the attack did not hit her. She looked up to see why. The one who protected her appeared. It was Lafarga the swordmaster. Hikaru was happy to see him. Zagato was annoyed by the interruption, but decided it didn't matter.

"It appears that you have been released from my mind control spell, haven't you Lafarga?" he asked.

Lafarga was in no mood for Zagato's taunting and gloating. He ignored the question.

"Cephiro belongs to Princess Emeraude. It's not yours to use as you please. High Priest Zagato, as Captain of the Guard sworn to protect Princess Emeraude. I will defeat you!"

Zagato thought this was laughable and that Lafarga was a fool. Or maybe he had a selective memory. "You cannot hope to win a battle against me," he scoffed.

"Perhaps I can't win, but neither can you," said Lafarga. He attacked with his sword, but even his proficient swordsman skills were not enough to inflict a wound on Zagato. Zagato dodged the attack with lightning speed.

"Blast you, Zagato!" spat Lafarga. He prepared to attack again, but could not see his opponent. Much to his surprise, Zagato was right behind him.

"Don't move," he ordered. "Your sword will have no effect on me whatsoever." He attacked Lafarga from behind. Hikaru cried out a warning, but it was too late. Lafarga took the full brunt of the blow.

Though quite in a bit of pain, he was determined not to give up.

"This match isn't over yet. Come on!" challenged Lafarga. Hikaru was worried for his safety.

"Lafarga, you mustn't try to fight him anymore," she said.

"I have been given the momentous honor of being the princess' protector. You may have defeated me once, but I refuse to allow it to happen again! Zagato!" said Lafarga.

"If you want to leave here unharmed, you should give up while you can. Otherwise, I am not responsible for what happens," warned Zagato.

Hikaru stood in front of Lafarga, arms spread out. She was not going to let Zagato inflict any more damage on Lafarga. Lafarga was surprised by this. Zagato found this utterly amusing, and foolish as well.

"You puny human with no armor, are you going to protect Lafarga now?" mocked Zagato, as if he were talking to a small child.

Hikaru clenched her teeth.

"Like I said, it is truly impossible for you to defeat me. However, if you give up now and move away quietly, I promise to send you safely back to the world that you came from," said Zagato. "Leave this battle now, or prepare to die."

Hikaru was tempted to take Zagato up on his offer, but was determined not to. Especially since she still intended to find out his true motives. At that moment, Rayearth reminded Hikaru to prove that she was worthy of donning him.

"I'll say this once more. If you back away quietly now, I will spare your life," said Zagato.

But Hikaru was not going to do it. There were many people counting on her, and there was too much at stake. "I will never run away from you, Zagato!" she vowed.

"In that case, you have chosen death," said Zagato. He fired another attack.

Unexpectedly, Dinah appeared out of the shadows and stood in front of Hikaru. She had seen what was going on in the battle, and could bear it no more. She knew that she promised to be careful, but she felt she had to do it. She took the brunt of the attack. She was willing to accept the penalty if it meant that the magic knights would live. She collapsed in pain. _'Sorry Princess Emeraude...but it looks like I won't return to the dungeon after all.' _

Hikaru was astonished by this. _'Why did she do that?'_she wondered.

Umi and Fuu were surprised, too.

_'Looks like I was wrong about her. Maybe she really can be trusted,' _thought Umi.

_'Dinah...thank you,' _ thought the red head.

Zagato did not know what to make of what just happened. She had never given him any reason to question her loyalty before. And here it looked like she had betray him. Oh well. He would get to the bottom of this later. Right now he had more important matters to deal with.

"You won't be so fortunate this time." The high priest fired another attack at the magic knight of fire. This time it was Lafarga who leapt in the way and absorbed the full blow for her. Badly wounded, he collapsed next to the fire sorceress.

_'What a fool he was.' _ But at last there was no one to get in his way. "There is no one to protect you."

Hikaru was tired of Zagato's gloating. "I won't let you hurt anyone else! I will keep my promise no matter what! Even if I have to die trying!" Her determination was stronger than ever. She walked close enough to him to launch an attack.

Umi and Fuu were afraid for their friend. Zagato had proven how vicious he could be. They didn't want Hikaru to risk injury, too. Both of them cried out warnings for her to escape.

Hikaru kept repeating that she would not lose. Zagato just stared at her. It boggled his mind that she could have such strong determination after all he had done to her. Her tenacity was admirable, but foolish.

_'Magic knight...what pushes you to do this? A promise?_' Zagato mentally pondered. "Out of respect for the strength of your convictions, I will use my greatest spell to send you to your grave." He prepared to launch his strongest attack, thinking nothing would stop him this time. Hikaru was so afraid. Unless Rayearth appeared to tell her that she had proven herself, she was finished. _'Magic knight...consider it an honor to be destroyed by my greatest power.' _ However, he was stopped again..by a ribbon of flames this time.

Hikaru was surprised and relieved. She was sure that she would be a goner this time.

"What is this?" asked Zagato, annoyed.

The lord of fire was impressed by the strength that Hikaru possessed...never giving up even when it seemed hopeless. "Young woman..thou has proven unto me the strength of thine heart!"

Hikaru was ecstatic! She finally managed to revive the third Rune God. The Lord of Fire evolved her armor, and the two other magic knights' Rune Gods evolved their armors as well.

Zagato was stunned that the girls managed to succeed. "The third Rune God!" He decided it would be best to retreat.

Hikaru saw that Zagato was getting away. She realized that she'd better attack. Her newly evolved armor gave her an immense power boost. She attacked with her sword. "Heeya!"

Zagato evaded the attack, but he got hit anyway. He winced as pain shot through his left shoulder and blood trickled down. He transported himself and Dinah out of the shrine.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17

* * *

><p>Dinah finally regained her consciousness. She was surprised to see that she was now in her bedroom. The last place she recalled being was the fire shrine where the Lord of Fire lie dormant. She sat up with some difficulty. Her back and shoulders ached terribly, but that was nothing compared to what could have happened to her. She had protected Hikaru from Zagato's attack.<p>

_' Was Lord Zagato angry about that?'_ wondered Dinah. Speaking of Lord Zagato, where was he? What happened after she passed out? She was eager to know the answer to the last question that came to her mind. She would not have to be curious about it for long. At that moment, Zagato walked in. He had a grim expression on his face. She also noticed that his left shoulder was bleeding.  
>What was going on here? She braced herself for the harangue she was guaranteed to be in for. But there was a painful silence between her and Zagato for several moments. Since Zagato didn't say anything, Dinah spoke first.<p>

"What happened to your shoulder? Did one of the magic knights do that to you?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes. It is not serious," answered Zagato. Truth be told it was really hurting but he was prideful in such a situation.

"What happened after I lost consciousness?" asked Dinah.

"That magic knight succeeded in reviving the scarlet Rune-God," answered Zagato. He filled her in on all the other details.

Dinah felt horrible all of a sudden. She knew that Hikaru had succeeded partially because of her interference. Yet she felt that she had to do it. She hoped that Zagato would not question her loyalty. She decided to just deliver a simple apology.

"I know that it is partially my fault that the magic knight of fire had succeeded. And I broke my promise to you. I never meant to betray your trust. Please forgive me," apologized Dinah.

Zagato's eyes met hers, and he saw fear in them. It was obvious that she expected a merciless punishment, like the one he gave to Alcyone. But he didn't do that.

"Why did you do it? And why did you speak well of me during your meeting with the magic knights?" asked Zagato.

"I think it is time for this farce to end. I knew they were preparing themselves to defeat you, and I couldn't bear that. I wanted them to understand you the way I do. That way, they would consider sparing your life," answered Dinah.

"You feel that way, although my unyielding wish is what the world would call an evil desire?" asked Zagato incredulously.

"That is not true," Dinah said gently, "you have a good heart. You wish for the freedom of Princess Emeraude's heart. There's nothing wrong with that. It just does not have to mean the destruction of Cephiro and its people."

Zagato couldn't believe this. He had displayed the actions of a villain, and here Dinah was, telling him he was not evil. She was just as loyal as Inouva was, although she displayed questionable actions at the fire shrine.

"Do you honestly believe that there is another method?" he asked Dinah.

"Yes. Remember what your younger brother once said?" asked Dinah.

Zagato thought back to when Lantis had told him his opinion of the pillar system. He had said that a world that was truly beautiful could still be beautiful without a pillar. If Dinah had done nothing else, she had made him consider what his younger brother would think of his actions if he were in Cephiro at the moment.

"Yes, I remember," replied Zagato.

"Why not put his theory to the test?" asked Dinah.

Hmph. If it were that simple. Unless there was something that Mage Clef had not told him and Princess Emeraude about the laws that the pillar was supposed to follow, which was a great possibility.

"I will remember your words, Dinah," said Zagato. With that, he left the room.

Dinah hoped that he would at least consider what she said, and end the war.

* * *

><p>Princess Emeraude had just finished communicating with the magic knights. She had given them information on her whereabouts. She hoped that they would make haste, and that Dinah was able to convince Zagato to stop all of this. Zagato appeared before her.<p>

"Zagato, haven't you done enough? I would have loved to have freedom, too, if I could," said Princess Emeraude.

"Yes, I know. It isn't your fault. However, something must be done about the pillar system that is causing your suffering," said Zagato. He winced at the pain in the injured shoulder. Princess Emeraude became worried.

"You were hurt," she said.

"It's nothing," said Zagato, brushing it off.

But Princess Emeraude's sapphire blue eyes were filled with concern. She chanted a healing spell, and a golden coloured energy sphere appeared. She placed her hands on the shoulder wound, and it disappeared. Zagato thought this was a waste of energy, and didn't understand why she would do it for him.

"What do you think you are doing, healing this wound?" asked Zagato.

Tears cascaded down Princess Emeraude's cheeks like a waterfall. Zagato had just about enough of seeing Princess Emeraude's tears.

"Emeraude...it seems that I can only make you cry, even though I wished to see your smile more than everyone else in Cephiro. Somehow, I alone am responsible for all of your tears," said Zagato. He dried her tears.

"I love you," Zagato whispered to Princess Emeraude.

"Awww." The pillar knew that, even though he had done a lousy job showing it.

"Your suffering ends now," he said. He left the water dungeon.

"Zagato! Wait!" cried Princess Emeraude.

Just then, Dinah entered. Princess Emeraude was relieved to see her.

"Dinah! It's you," she said.

"Yes. I have spoken to Lord Zagato about this, just as I promised," Dinah told Princess Emeraude.

"Were you able to convince him?" asked Princess Emeraude.

"He didn't say whether he would end it or not, but he said he would think about what I am saying," answered Dinah.

Princess Emeraude was relieved. She hoped he would make the right decision if he loved her like he said he did.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the magic knights finally made it to the castle. Hikaru was able to convince Fuu and Umi to try negotiating or compromising, instead of fighting. However, their Rune-Gods were still with them, just in case they would be needed.<p>

"So, you girls have succeeded in becoming the legendary magic knights. I commend you," said a deep voice. The girls looked up and saw Zagato standing on top of the crystal formation.

Umi was about to retort something nasty, but Fuu told her not to start.

"We have not come for a battle. We have a question for you," said Hikaru.

"Hmm?" asked Zagato. He thought this was quite interesting. What question could they possibly want to ask him?

"What is it that you long for that you find more valuable than Cephiro?" inquired Hikaru.

"What will you do once I give you an honest answer?" asked Zagato.

"Maybe we can help you," replied Hikaru, calmly.

Zagato found this meeting amusing. How could three naive little girls possibly help him when they knew very little of the situation? And why would they want to help him after all the misery he had put them through? Was it because of what Dinah said? Or was it something else? Whatever the reason, he decided to comply.

"It is Princess Emeraude's freedom," he told them.

"Huh? I'm confused," said Umi. But Hikaru and Fuu understood...sort of.

"You're in love with Princess Emeraude, aren't you?" asked Fuu.

"You are correct," answered Zagato. He decided to go ahead and tell them everything. He told them about the destiny of the magic knights. They were amazed to learn that their destiny was to put the pillar to rest.

"What?" exclaimed Umi. She thought Zagato was lying, but she decided to keep her mouth shut for once. Something else dawned on the magic knights.

"So, is that why you were doing everything you could to prevent us from becoming the magic knights?" asked Hikaru.

"Very observant, magic knight," replied Zagato.

Hikaru finally understood now. But she still believed that there was another way to do this. What he did wasn't right.

"Do you have to do it this way? Can't you find some other way?" questioned Hikaru.

Zagato had to admit that these girls were pretty wise. They sounded like Dinah. And one thing he noticed was that the magic knights had soft, tender expressions on their faces. He realized that there was more to them than he had realized. He found himself unable to compete with them any longer. He made up his mind to see if Dinah was right.

"From this moment forward, you girls will no longer be considered enemies," said Zagato, relenting.

"Really? Does that mean we can be friends now?" asked Hikaru.

"Yes," answered Zagato. He told them where Princess Emeraude was, and left to take care of some business.


	19. Chapter 19

Epilogue

* * *

><p>The magic knights began their ascent to rescue Princess Emeraude. The crystal formation was blocking the entrance.<p>

"Well, it was nice of Zagato to tell us where Princess Emeraude is and all, but he never told us how to get to her. That's real helpful," said Umi, sarcastically.

"It appears to be a crystal formation," stated Fuu.

"This is the barrier that protects the castle. It was created within Princess Emeraude's heart," said Rayearth.

"Thou canst breech the barrier with thy magic," said Windam.

"So is Princess Emeraude beyond this barrier?" asked Umi.

"The pillar of Cephiro lies within," replied Selece.

"Okay, guys! Let's rescue Princess Emeraude!" blared out Hikaru.

Fuu and Umi nodded. The 3 magic knights destroyed the barrier with their attacks. They soared toward Princess Emeraude in their Rune-Gods, and floated to the ground. Princess Emeraude looked up.

"Legendary magic knights...you're finally here," she said.

"Yes...Zagato told us where to find you," Hikaru told her.

"He even told us about the destiny of the magic knights. Now we know why he was doing everything he could to prevent us from becoming the magic knights," said Umi. "Is it true that you summoned us here to kill you?"

"Yes it is true. I had made the foolish choice to live with the man I love as the pillar," said Princess Emeraude.

"The man you love?" repeated Fuu. Hikaru remembered the conversation she had with Zagato awhile ago. He had admitted that he was in love with Princess Emeraude.

"You mean Zagato, right? He told us how he felt about you," Hikaru told Princess Emeraude.

Princess Emeraude nodded. "He realized that I was hiding my feelings from him. But our love for one another could never be allowed to bloom because I'm the pillar of Cephiro. It is essential for the pillar to pray for the land's stability without interruption, and my love for Zagato hindered that. I felt that I had committed the greatest sin and that I could never be forgiven. So I summoned you girls here to kill me. The pillar is not allowed to take her own life, and no one in Cephiro is allowed to cause the pillar bodily harm in any way. However, Dinah convinced me not to have you girls kill me."

Hikaru was happy to hear that. She didn't think she would have been able to kill Princess Emeraude without any regrets. Umi and Fuu felt the same way. Now Hikaru knew why Zagato detested the pillar system so greatly. No one deserved to be without freedom. If only there were some way the pillar system could be destroyed. They would have to ask Mage Clef about that.

"Well, we're here to rescue you as promised," said Fuu.

"I thank you, girls from another world," said Princess Emeraude.

Hikaru, Fuu and Umi used their magic to break the glass. It cracked and shattered into smithereens. Princess Emeraude got out of the way just in time. She thanked the magic knights again.

"I see that you have freed Princess Emeraude, girls from another world."

Hikaru, Umi and Fuu wondered who said that. It sounded like Mage Clef, but they couldn't be positive. They were so sure that they would never hear from him again, like he said in their last conversation. Unless, of course, Zagato had set him free. To make sure that it was not just wishful thinking, the magic knights looked up. Sure enough, Mage Clef was standing on top of the cliff.

"Clef, you're okay!" said Hikaru, relieved.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Clef," said Fuu.

"It's really you, right?" asked Umi. She recalled the time Caldina created Clef as an illusion. Although Zagato had promised that they would be friends from now on, she still wanted to make sure she could trust him.

"Yes it's me. Zagato released me from the spell," said Mage Clef.

"He did?" asked Umi. "Wow..." She was beginning to think maybe Zagato could be trusted.

"So is there any way Princess Emeraude can be free from praying for Cephiro without having to die? And would Cephiro still stand?" asked Fuu.

"Hmm...there is one way, but it is very risky," answered Mage Clef.

"Which way is that?" asked Hikaru. She wondered if it was what she had in mind.

"She can abolish the pillar system itself," replied Mage Clef.

Princess Emeraude thought about this. It was still her unyielding wish for Cephiro to be saved, yet she thought it would be nice to have a future where she could be happy with the one she loved, though not in death alone. She now realized how deeply her captivity hurt some people. Perhaps this decision was selfish of her, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She made her decision.

"I will do it," she said, firmly. She transformed into her adult form, as her child-like form was weakened. She felt the power surging within her. Hikaru, Umi and Fuu looked on in awe. They never thought that Princess Emeraude had the ability to do that.

Princess Emeraude clasped her hands together. "I hereby rid Cephiro of its pillar system! From this moment on, Cephiro's people will be able to pray for themselves and for this land as well!" she proclaimed. With that, Cephiro was no longer bound by the chains of the pillar system.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for what you've done. It was you who gave me hope when all hope seemed lost," Princess Emeraude said to Dinah, a bit later.<p>

"It was my pleasure, your highness. You and Lord Zagato were good to me as well," replied Dinah.

Princess Emeraude turned to the magic knights. "You girls from another world set me free and showed me that destinies could be changed. For that, I am forever grateful."

"Well, thank you for helping us at the Spring of Eterna," replied Umi.

Hikaru just remembered something. The task was not completed yet. Cephiro still needed to be restored to the peaceful land it once was. She and the other girls still had a way to go before they could return to Tokyo. She mentioned this to Umi and Fuu.

"You're right! How could I have forgotten about that? How silly of me," said Umi. She decided to not worry about the fencing tournament anymore. She realized that there were more important things to worry about. She talked this over with Hikaru and Fuu, and they nodded in agreement.

"Princess Emeraude? Zagato? We will stay in Cephiro until it is restored back to normal," said Hikaru.

"In that case, you may stay in the castle," said Zagato.

The magic knights couldn't believe their ears. Zagato was being generous.

"Really?" they squealed in unison.

Zagato nodded. "It is the least I can do to erase the pain I have caused you girls," he replied.

Princess Emeraude smiled at this. It was the first time she had smiled in years. Zagato was glad to see a smile on her face for once.

"Thank you, Zagato. We will be right back. We're going to visit Miss Presea," said Hikaru. She and the other girls left the castle.

Dinah decided to give Princess Emeraude and Zagato some time alone. She went to her room to rest.

"Emeraude...please forgive me for all that has happened," said Zagato, taking Princess Emeraude's hand in his. This gave Princess Emeraude butterflies in her stomach. She had always longed to feel his touch.

"Never mind that. I am just glad that it is all over," said Princess Emeraude.

Zagato smiled, and stroked Emeraude's long flowing blonde tresses. It felt as soft as silk. Princess Emeraude stroked Zagato's ebony coloured hair. She knew that everything would be all right.

END


End file.
